Pokemon: The Plasma Saga: Revenge
by TrainerNaps
Summary: Book 2 of the Plasma Saga. William and his friends continue on their journey, now to the Johto region. Seemingly for Will to collect all of its badges and enter the Johto League, after what happened in Kanto, however, Will and Team Plasma may have a different, secret agenda. Against his will, our hero must comply with Plasmas' demands, while they deal with a threat of their own...
1. Prologue

It was a quiet day in the Ilex Forest. A small, rustic shrine sat in the center of the woods, sharing in the serene grace. But that all changed. Suddenly, the forest shook, and a red light surged into the sky from the shrine. A ball of green light floated up from the column of light, and vanished.

There was a flash, and suddenly, a figure stood in the middle of the field. His ragged breath persisted as he stood up.

"Shear…" he rapsed as he stumbled and caught his balance on a tree. Red energy crackled on the tree, and then it died.

"SHEAR! I'M COMING FOR YOU!" He roared, and the trees continued to shake


	2. Chapter 1: An Egg-celent Start

_"Achoo!"_

Burgundy sneezed as we entered the cavern. "Ugh, Will, _why _did you drag me here?" she said, sniffling. "You know what dampness does to my…ah…ah…ah…_achoo_! And the waterfall gives me a headache!"

Wes moaned. "Would you quit whining? We've been in here for, like, a minute."

Burgundy stomped her foot and sniffled. "Nobody asked you, Wes!"

I chuckled as we reached the side of the waterfall. It was a steep, rocky incline. Nothing I couldn't handle. I pulled out a Pokéball; the only one on my belt.

"Shellshocker, let's go!" My Blastoise, Shellshocker, emerged from his Pokéball. He flexed his muscles, and I felt a surge of confidence flow through him. Oh yeah, before I go any further, I might as well explain a few things. My name's William Grey. I'm a Trainer from Viridian City. Just a few days ago, I participated in the Indigo League Tournament. How did it go? Well, I came in 12th. So, not so well…But I'm moving on. My next stop is the Johto region, to earn all eight badges, enter the Johto League, and win. As well as, well, a few other things.

I seem to be quite popular with this group of jerks called Team Plasma. Particularly, an elite group amongst them called Plasma advance. They're a group of humans, imbued with some sort of space-energy called cryogenicrosis, which gives them superhuman abilities. I kinda messed with their agenda, and, uh, died in the process. They brought me back using the Cryo-stuff, but it made me one of them. Each Cryo-Human supposedly has some cool, unique ability. I have the ability to read thoughts and emotions, but that isn't my Cryo-thing or whatever. My ancestor, Greyson, was some warrior-dude who united the ancient Ransei region. Whatever that is. Anyway, every once in a while he come annoy me in my dreams and talk about my "destiny" and stuff. Apparently, my family has possessed this ability for, like, ever, and I was the last person to have traces of it. But my cryogenics brought it back out.

"Shocker, you think you can climb this?" Reassurance. He gripped the rocks, and I climbed onto his back. "Hey, guys, unless ya'll want to climb yourselves, hop on."

Wes climbed up onto Shellshocker's back, and we helped give Burgundy a boost. Then Shocker began to climb. After about 15 minutes, we reached a small ledge at the top of the Tojoh Falls (whoever named it must have been from Orre. Yokels.) We shimmied along the side until we reached a point where the falls ended, and there was another rock wall.

"M-maybe we could jump into the water below?" stammered Burgundy.

"Ha," laughed Wes. "From this high, and this the water falling down at that rate? If you're partial to breaking every bone in your body, be my guest."

Burgundy looked at the wall, and then at the waterfall. She gulped. She felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, her emotions that is. "W-well, those stalagmites at the bottom would probably kill me no matter what, so…promise you'd sign my cast?"

I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. "Just hop back on Shellshocker. Listen, I don't want to have to plan your funeral, and I don't want to visit you at the hospital, so let's just go."

…

We exited the cave, and walked onto a grassy stretch. I put my hand over my eyebrows as a visor to look into the distance. I could see a small row of houses and wind turbines. That was our destination: New Bark Town.

…

"Ah, William so glad you could make it." Professor Elm clasped my hand in his and shook it. "Professor Oak told me you would be coming!" He looked over my shoulder at Wes. "Ah, you must be Professor Oak's grandson! How do you do?" Wes looked at me like, _Can we make this fast? _I could tell Professor Oak was one of young Professor Elm's heroes, so Wes would share in the hero worship.

"And…uh…Betty?" He looked at Burgundy, who was struggling to remain polite.

"It's…Burgundy…"

"Of course! Now, I'm sorry to sound rude, but I'm very busy right now, and I must get back to work ASAP, so I'll make this quick." He snatched my Pokédex out of my hand, and my AI, Dex, spoke up.

_Hey, watch it! I don't know where those hands have been, but I have a pretty good idea! You look like a guy who'd be interested in veterinary experiments…_

"They're some of my favorite experiments!"

_Ugh…_

Elm slid a chip into Dex.

_Hey, what where you…UPDATE COMPLETE!_

"There! Now, data on all of Johto's known Pokémon is available. That should make your journey a lot easier, and…"

"Cynda!" A small, mosue Pokémon hopped on the table. It stared up at Burgundy, Wes, and I.

"Aww!" said Burgundy, bending over to look it in the eyes. "It's so adorable! Will, try out the new function."

"I took out my Pokédex, pointed it at the Pokémon, and pressed the green button. The Pokédex flipped open.

_Cyndaquil_

_The Fire Mouse Pokémon_

_It has a timid nature. If it is startled, the flames on its back burn more vigorously._

Professor Elm scratched it on the cheek. "Poor Cyndaquil feels lonely. I just sent two new Trainers on their journeys. They took Chikorita, our Grass-Type, and Totodile, our Water-Type."

Cyndaquil looked at its feet. It felt sad.

"Hey Cyndaquil, if it's okay with the Professor, you can come with us!" Cyndaquil looked at me, and it's back flared up.

Elm laughed. "Well Cyndaquil, I guess this is goodbye!" He handed me a Pokéball. "Treat Cyndaquil with care. Although he's a Fire-Type, he's a bit timid. Don't but him in any jams if you can help it."

Burgundy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because Will is _so _good at avoiding those." Wes elbowed her.

"And maybe if you rush, you can meet E- ETHAN!" He face-palmed. "I forgot to give Ethan the egg!"

"Egg?"

"A colleague of mine, Mr. Pokémon, recently discovered an egg that a Pokémon had presumably laid. No one knows as to how eggs work, or how Pokémon produce them. I've studied it about as much as I can in the lab, so I was going to send it out with a Trainer. But Lyra rushed out, and for Ethan, I guess I just forgot…"

"No problem! We'll take the egg…"

Burgundy put a hand on my chest. "No sir! You are _not _caring for an egg! An egg is like a baby, Will. Have you ever taken care of a baby?"

"Uh, well, I held my cousin Kamella once when she was two…"

"My point. _I_, on the other hand, have three younger siblings. I know how to care for young. I will take the egg." Elm handed Burgundy the egg. It was the size of a football. It was white, with red and blue triangles.

"Tell me if anything happens to the egg. I mean, let me know _immediately!_ Please…"

"Yes," Wes held up a hand. "We get it. Thank you Professor Elm." He waved.

"No, thank you guys. Good luck!"


	3. Chapter 2: Blast from the Past

The stealth ship _Crystal Lance _cruised over Johto. Mirrored panels coated its outside, making it all but invisible. Inside, some of the most dangerous criminals in the world went about their duties: Team Plasma.

Agent Shear walked down the corridor. Every time a grunt or lower ranking Plasma soldier passed, they would stop and salute. Shear didn't. She just kept going. She didn't have time to soak in the pathetic gestures like Morpheus would.

Shear entered the bridge. "Madam Shear," said the captain, acknowledging her presence, but now taking his hands off of the controls for a salute. Shear allowed this, knowing that if he did, they'd probably go into a nosedive.

"We're approaching the regional base, Madam. I expect we will arrive within the hour."

Shear nodded. "Good. And the strange energy spike in Sector F?"

"Our scouts are looking into it. As soon as we find anything out,.."

"You will inform me."

The captain gulped. "B-but Madam, standard protocol states we are to inform the Commander first, and if he deems it necessary-"

"I am the only member of Advance on this ship. Therefore, I will be the first to know. Understood?" She waved her sword in front of the pilot's chair.

"Understood." There was nothing left to do. Shear proceeded out of the bridge. She reached her cabin, and shut the door.

She sat on the small be, and took off her boots. Carefully, she removed the metal mask that covered half of her face. With a gentle finger, she traced the burn scar down that side of her face, and remembered.

…

"Shear. Call me Shear."

A young Shear stood before a young-well, younger, Commander Karrgon. Well, at the time, just Karrgon. His moustache had been shorter back then, and more tame. His metal arm was smaller.

Shear was smaller too. She was about a foot shorter, and her hair wasn't a frizzy mess. She had actually kept it in a neat ponytail back then. That was back when her sword was strapped to her back, not her side. And, of course, she didn't wear the mask yet.

"So that is the codename you are choosing?"

Young Shear nodded. "Yes."

"Fitting, and it does have a bit of a ring to it. And definitely more intimidating than-"

"Don't! Don't say it! I want no reminders of my past."

"Okay then. If anyone should respect someone's past, and not wanting to go there, it's me."

"Thanks, Karrgon."

Shear proceeded with Karrgon to the mission room. When they entered, they saw the usual group gathered around the Mission Table, which was the machine that would generate holographic information as to their next missions.

Gathered around it were the usual crew; Morpheus, Mogar, Strella, Krim and…someone new. He was about Shear's height, and had scarlet hair. He wore a black overcoat with red stripes. He was chatting with Krim.

"Who's that?" asked Shear.

"The new recruit. Agent Gold."

"Looks like a wuss."

"I've heard he's had the highest marks in Independent Testing."

The Independent Group were regular humans in Plasma Advance, just elites. Shear, Karrgon, and Morpheus were in the Control Group: the Cryo-Humans.

"Actually, Shear, his scores were higher than yours."

Shear snorted. "Scores don't matter in the field. We'll see how he holds up." Shear sauntered over to the Mission Table and took her regular place. Unfortunately, that happened to be next to the impulsive Krim, whose annoyance to King Plasma usually splashed some blame on her.

"-the mission. I'm sure we'll get stuck with the boring part, as always." He looked up as Shear walked by. "And here comes the Mean Queen herself. Princess of Prickliness."

"Shut your mouth, Krim, before I shut it for you."

"Hey, don't be so harsh. You might give our new rookie a bad first impression."

Agent Gold held out his hand. "I am Gold. How do you do?"

Shear wouldn't just put him up; she respected a person who attempts to start on good terms with a superior.

Shear shook his hand. "Better than anyone here, and don't you forget it. Just stay out of my way, and you'll be just fine."

"Noted."

There was a crackle, and the robed figure of King Plasma appeared in a blue hologram.

"Now, if we may begin, we will begin the mission overview…"

…

"Ow, my back!" Juno Saphira was thrown through the brush, into a tree. The attacker surged through the bushes and punched her in the stomach. "Agh, my front!"

Then the red electricity started again. It flowed against her skin from the attacker's arm and shocker her. The sudden shock played havoc with her inside, and gave her a sudden knee-jerk. She kicked the attacker off.

Juno rolled over, the electricity lingering.

_Oh, _she moaned to herself. _My middle parts…_

She stumbled to her feet as the attacker got up as well. She never managed to get a good look at it, it seemed to by shrouded in some sort of red mist. For all she knew, it could be a boy or a girl.

It fought like an animal. It would lunge forward, and swipe at her with animalistic strikes. And every time it made contact, some sort of electricity would surge through her and cause her intense internal pain. Her brain felt like someone had poured a fizzy drink into her ears, every nerve in her body pulsed with fire.

She twitched her fingers in her Fine Styler. A glowing blue blade of energy emerged.

'C'mon!" she said, pointing it like a lance at the attacker. "Get over here so I can skewer you!"

The attacker roared and charged forward. It raised a palm, and a cloud of red energy formed inside. It shot at Juno. She was sent back into the same tree. She felt her stomach where the blast had hit. A searing hole had burned through her shirt, mildly burning her skin.

Juno slowly rose to her feet. Her blade collapsed into a floppy strand; her whip. She cracked it.

"Change of plans; I'll eviscerate you instead!" The attacker lunged again. She snapped her whip at it. It made contact in what should be the head. The creature stopped and roared. Then it vanished.

Juno retracted her whip. She took a step forward and examine her surroundings.

"C-come out so I can finish the job! Juno Saphira doesn't like to leave things unfini- agh!"

The attacker appeared behind her and jabbed her in the back. Juno tried to regain her balance, but she stumbled into a tree root. Her right ankle twisted at an odd angle, and she flipped around and fell on her rear. She clutched her ankle.

"Agh! Scizor, gimmie a hand!" Her partner Pokémon, Scizor, soared out of the brush. It slashed at the attacker, who nimbly avoided all of Scizor's lightning-fast attacks. It struck Scizor in the chest, which sent Scizor spinning into the sky. For a Pokémon with iron skin, that seemed to do a lot of damage. But just as Scizor zoomed in to resume combat, and the attacker took its formation….

A pillar of light shot into the sky. The creature turned to face it. It just left.

Scizor landed and ran to Juno.

"Idiot! I'm fine, go after that thing!" Scizor smiled; it was used to Juno's stubborn, "no surrender" attitude.

It helped her up. "Leave me alone, you stupid bug! I can walk on my-yowch!" She tried putting her right foot down to walk, but jerked it back up immediately and limped alongside Scizor.

"Fine! I was going to ask for your help anyway…"


	4. Chapter 3: Shear's New Toy

"Koochie koochie koo!" Burgundy continued to make nonsense baby noises as she made nonsense baby faces at the egg.

I sighed. Wes and I had been putting up with this for about an hour and a half while we walked towards Cherrygrove City. Any chance I would have had to catch any of the new Pokémon I saw was spoiled by Burgundy and her stupid noises.

At last Wes spoke up. "Burgundy, can you stop it with the noises? It's not a real baby, and if it was, those are still the most annoying noises on Earth."

Burgundy looked over her shoulder, and then turned back around. "Don't listen to Uncle Wes, my little eggy-weggy. He's just jealous." She continued to koo and tickle the egg.

Cyndaquil, who had been toddling alongside us the entire trip, jumped onto my leg and climbed onto my head, resting on my hat. I eventually heard its breath even out as it fell asleep. "Poor little guy," I said as I reached up and gently stroked him. "Must've walked too much. We should pick up the pace a little, guys. I know we're sightseeing and stuff, but we should stop dawdling."

"Well, maybe if Burgundy stopped talking like an idiot to the egg…"

"Wes!" Burgundy hugged the egg tighter. "Don't talk like that in front of the ba-"

We all stopped and were silent for a moment.

"Burgundy," said Wes mildly. "Did you almost call the egg a 'baby'?"

Burgundy was silent for a moment more. "Okay, maybe I have a problem…"

…

We walked into the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, into an environment which, if Burgundy was still in Super Nanny-Mode, would have caused her to swaddle the egg tighter and stick a bar of soap into the offender's mouth. A wave of swearing and cursing awaited us on the inside. Two nurses were arguing with a girl sitting on the couch. She was trying to stuff her foot into one of her boots, but a nurse would grab her leg and continue to argue (though the girl was the only one cursing.) Her garb reminded me of someone…Skye! The girl was a Ranger, but instead of where the clothing would be blue, hers was red.

Walking a little closer (but not too close, because as it turned out, Burgundy did want to protect the egg more,) I noticed a little more about the girl. Though hard to tell, her sitting on the couch and all, she was almost as tall as I was, and looked about my age. She had blue eyes like I did, but it seemed like hers…I don't know, sparkled more? She had silver hair. Probably dye, but hey, the world is a big place.

I'd…rather not reflect what she said, but her next insult to one of the nurses involved the words "Miltank" and "Snorlax," and the girl then suggested a place where they could insert a Fine Styler.

One of the Nurses stopped away, and the other followed. The girl grumbled something else under her breath, and then proceeded to wrap a bandage around her right foot.

Burgundy's face was scarlet red. She walked up to the girl.

"Honey, you've got a lot of nerve talking at a place where there a children present!"

The Ranger continued to wrap her foot. "Take a hike, Highlighter Head."

Burgundy nearly dropped the egg. "Well, I never…"

"Obviously not. Now, as you can see, this is delicate…agh." She winced and dropped the roll of bandage.

Wes sat down next to her. "Don't wrap it diagonally across the whole foot like that. If you compress the toes while you walk, your foot will just arch and make the sprain worse. That is, assuming you twisted your ankle.

The Ranger looked at him. "I didn't give a Hoothoot what those medical nerds were telling me what to do. But yeah, I twisted my foot."

"You could do permanent damage to your ankle of you continue like that."

"You think I care!" She snapped the roll out of his hand and began to wrap it as Wes instructed.

Wes got up and came back to Burgundy and I. "Well, what do you think?"

I laughed. "What do you mean, "What do I think?' Are we just gonna start walking around, asking random Pokémon Center patrons to join us. You know, I wouldn't really mind, if we didn't just ask the angry, annoying ones.

I looked over at Burgundy, who was rocking the egg back and forth, assuring it that everything would be okay. "Never mind that. Why her?"

Wes shrugged. "I liked having a Ranger on our team."

I took out my Poke-gear. "We can just call Skye!"

"Hey," said the girl, who had finished wrapping her foot. "I can hear everything you're saying, by the way. And if you plan on swinging by the Ilex Forest, I'll tag along."

"Where is that?"

"Near Azalea Town."

My mouth went dry. "Yeah, we're gonna stop there."

"Sweet, I…gyah!" She attempted at getting up, but as she put her right foot down, she fell back down on the couch and ripped off her boot. Cursing, she began to massage her foot.

One of the nurses approached. "Ms. Saphira, you may be discharged from our care; _if_ you use these crutches until your wound heals."

"Meh, fine." The nurse walked away, looking quite content that the girl was leaving.

The Ranger hobbled over to us. "My name's Juno, by the way."

"Nice to know. Will, Wes, Burgundy."

She began to hobble out the door. I tried to read her thoughts…

_"But I couldn't."_

…

"And those are my concerns."

The holographic image of King Plasma flickered.

"You're concerns will be looked into, Agent Shear. Maelstrom may have been the most potent enemy we have ever faced. But before I put stock in your theories, you must first tell me something."

Shear looked up. "My lord?"

"Are your concerns due to personal obligation? Be honest."

Shear was momentarily shocked. She quickly recovered. "N-no, my lord. I would never. The concerns of Team Plasma outweigh my concerns. By far."

"That is what I wanted to hear. No, about Maelstrom…"

"Are you going to send all of Plasma Advance to help me?"

"No. They all have separate assignments. I have instead sent the latest model of Plasma Hunter to assist you."

"My lord, I hate to question you, but the last model failed to even slay a pathetic Ranger piece of-"

"Easy, Shear." King Plasma's hologram raised a hand. "Remember what I said about personal issues."

"Sorry, my lord."

"As I was saying, I have sent the latest model of Plasma Hunter: The Hunter-Killer. In fact, it is onboard your ship."

Shear turned as a large, rectangular capsule emerged from a segment of the wall. It cracked open, and steam flowed out. Shear could vaguely make out a humanoid shape.

"Agent Shear, say hello to HK-52." Two red balls of light lit up in the capsule. A metallic-British sounding voice exited the machine.

_"DECLARATION: ASSASANATION PROTOCOLS ACTIVE. GREETINGS, MASTER."_


	5. Chapter 4: By Generations

I went to bed regretting what I was about to do. Not take Juno with us (though I _hoped _I wouldn't regret that) but something else. I was about to do something really risky. He usually comes on his own (and almost kills me each time,) but tonight, I was going to try and summon Greyson into my dreams.

I focused as hard as I could, and shut my eyes. Eventually, that blackout that you never notice when falling asleep happened, but I noticed. When I opened my eyes, I wasn't awake. I was in the Dreamscape.

The Dreamscape's familiar green mist greeted me, as did the figure that usually stood amongst it: Greyson, the Great Warrior. My ancestor.

I approached him. His cold, blue eyes pierced my mind, like someone had inserted icicles into my head. "Um…hey?"

His deep, mighty voice echoed over the Dreamscape. "To have summoned me, my descendant, you must have had a great deal on your mind. But you were wise to contact me. In my years I learned a great deal about the world, and how it worked. The things I didn't learn, I learned how to deal with."

"Well, uh, you mentioned our family's gift a while back."

"Indeed I did. And you have just begun to harness its power."

"Yeah, uh, about that…" I proceeded to tell him about my new mental powers, and how they didn't work on Juno.

"Hm…very interesting. And you say you couldn't read her thoughts? You couldn't even feel any emotion?"

"No. it was like…a wall had been put up."

Greyson scratched his chin. "Very interesting indeed. I have but one conclusion for you."

"And that would be?"

"You understand that with being a hero, you make a great deal of enemies?"

"Boy, do I know."

"Yes, but you haven't the slightest inkling of how many are to come. But more on that later. In my day, my powers won me many battles; helped me to best many foes. And so it was inevitable that one day, a villain would attempt at counteracting my powers. You see, as a Warlord, I had a special bond with one Pokémon; my partner. My partner was a mighty legendary Pokémon; one not seen in this world for over a thousand years."

"What was it called?"

"The years have not been kind on my spirit. Through having remained alive through our family's powers, and being taxed by the effects of many battles, my memory is not at its best. Some things are erased from my soul entirely. The Pokémon's name is one of those things."

"I see."

"Yes, well, one day, a mighty lord from a faraway land heard of my exploits, and became jealous of my power. For this king, King Hoenn, had harnessed the power of two mighty beasts. But once he heard of the Pokémon who stood at my side, enough wasn't enough. He sought out a third, and succeeded. But at a cost. His power now spread too thin, the three beasts grew wild and unpredictable. He was forced to discharge is power into three artifacts; three orbs that now held the power to control the beasts. This prevented me from using my ability to speak with the Pokémon. I could not reason with them. So a great war was waged."

Greyson stopped. He stared blankly into the Dreamscape, as if remembering something.

"Can…can you tell me anything else?"

"Later. Now is not the time. But my conclusion is this; this girl must hold the ancient blood of the evil king. His power swims through her blood. But…"

"But what?"

"On closer observation…so does yours. The feeling I got when I sense her…lingers with you."

"Wait, so, I have ancient blood? I mean, like, less _ancient _ancient blood?"

"I…I know not. This is _very _peculiar. Like I said, my spirit is damaged. If I withdraw, and bide my power, I may be able to become strong enough to regain some memories and parts of my soul that were lost. But that would mean that I will not be able to visit you, my descendant."

"I understand. Do what you have to do. Juno doesn't seem." I remembered the Pokémon Center fiasco where we met. "Okay, I mean, like, _evil _threatening."

Greyson smiled. Very slightly, but it was there. That proved that weird old man ghost warriors _could _feel emotion!

He began to fade, like smoke in the wind. "Until next time, son of my sons. Then, we can hopefully figure this out…"

…

The next day, we set out, Burgundy still nurturing the egg, and Juno now limping beside us with her crutches.

Wes spoke up. "So, Juno, tell us about yourself."

Juno continued up the path, not acknowledging any of us. "What's to tell? I'm a Ranger, I do Ranger stuff, fight the bad guys, get ordered to do stupid stuff while the _important _Rangers like Sven and Wendy and Skye go do _important _stuff, blah blah blah. Story of my life."

"Oh that's right," I said, jogging up to face her. "We hung out with Skye for a while. She's a good friend."

"Ms. Popular. Always making friends," mumbled Juno. "And then when she gets down, which is whenever she doesn't get what she wants, she complains about her parents dying. Big whoop! I don't even have any…"

"I'm so sorry," said Burgundy, looking up from her egg.

"Nah, I technically _have _parents, they just never pay attention to me. Always caught up in their research."

"Are they scientists?"

"Yeah."

"My dad is a scientist too! I know how you feel, kind of. My dad is never home, but my mom is."

"Sucks, doesn't it? They were never there for my piano recitals-"

"My baseball games-"

"Graduation-"

"Christmas-"

"Birthdays," we both said at the same time, quite awkwardly.

"When's your birthday, Juno?"

"January 8th."

"No kidding! Mine's on the 7th!"

"Huh. Maybe we do have a little more in common than I thought, kid."

I put my hands on my hips, Burgundy-style. "Hey, I'm a day older than you. I should start calling _you _kid."

Her next crutch landed on my foot. I grabbed my foot and began to jump up and down on one foot.

"Not on your life, kid."

Wes brushed past me.

"Wes, what was that for?" He had an annoyed look in his eyes."

What was wrong with my best friend?


	6. Chapter 5: Shocking

_"Achoo!" _Burgundy sneezed again. A sudden rainstorm on the way to Violet City had caused her sinuses to act up again. And of course, her precious egg took priority over the warmth of Wes and I, so we had to sacrifice our jackets for the sake of Burgundy Jr. (as we had begun to call the egg.)

All of which would have been just fine, providing Juno hadn't been there. I had an emergency umbrella, as did Burgundy. But where she was able to hold hers, Juno…not so much. I had to hold my umbrella over her the entire time while she limped on her crutches. Which got me drenched.

After I changed into my dry clothes, I joined my companions in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, on couches in front of a fireplace. Juno was sitting on the ground, doing something with her Styler. Burgundy sat on the couch, covered in blankets, swaddling the egg, and blowing her red nose. Wes sat on an adjacent couch, his arms crossed, pouting.

I sat down next to him. "Dude, what's wrong? You've been upset the entire trip."

He turned away from me. "Like you care…"

"I do! You're my best friend!"

"I thought _Juno _was!"

"I've known her for, like, 24 hours. What makes you think that?"

Wes scoffed. "You're just _so _set on getting to know her and relating!"

Not much, especially with good friends, ticks me off. Nothing but that. You do not ever…_ever _question my loyalty to a friend. Especially with matters relating to my family.

"Are you kidding me? You're mad because I _connected _with Juno? That we related because our parents never paid attention to us? Oh, I'm sorry that my parents never had any time for me! That my father missed all of my important accomplishments! And that when they were available, they were obsessing over my super talented older sister!"

Wes recognized his error, and looked a bit ashamed. Unfortunately I didn't really. "Dude, I'm sorry…"

"Oh no," I continued, now standing up. "My bad! _All _my fault. I shouldn't have let all of my sister's events and accomplishments outshine mine! My fault my parents missed my Third Grade Spelling Bee because of my sister's piano recital, and my induction into the Kanto Scholars' Honor Society because of my sister's induction into the Unova Elite Four! And…"

Wes patted me on the shoulder and sat me down. "I'm sorry; I didn't know that I was being so annoying and irrational."

"It's okay. Sorry I kind of freaked out. It sucks when you're Number 2 in a family."

"Honestly, I can't compare. Since my dad died, and my mother spent a lot of time in the lab. She made sure that she spent every free moment with me. She even brought me into the lab sometimes. I used to have a play pen next to an evolution machine when I was a little kid."

I laughed. "Yeah. Since I was the second born, especially by about six years, my parents were a lot less strict and observing on me than they were with Caitlin. When she was a kid, they wouldn't let her play in the front yard without both of them watching. When I was a kid, I could just walk down the street and say, "Bye! Be back by 9:30 P.M.!"

We both laughed. After a minute, Wes's expression pacified. "But…"

"But what? You can tell me anything."

"But, there's another reason why I was upset. Honestly, I was jealous of you getting to connect with Juno."

"Why?"

Wes looked over at her. She was still typing into her Styler, and mumbling about orders she apparently really disagreed with. He then whispered in my ear, "I kind of like Juno."

I sat back. "Really? She doesn't seem like your type. You know, you're nice and funny. She's kind of…aggressive…"

"And funny!"

"Well, it's kind of funny how she yells at people, but…"

Wes laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

It wasn't just that Juno seemed a little…rough for Wes, but also what Greyson said. Or yet, almost said. If an ancient warrior spirit had a bad feeling about someone, and couldn't quite put his ghostly finger on what was wrong…it isn't that I don't trust her, but it could be bad news if she proves Greyson right. And, come to think of it, I never like it when Greyson is right…

…

My door slammed open. Juno hobbled into the room. She wore the tank top that she usually wore under her Ranger gear, but also a pair of shorts. He silver hair hung in a mess over her head and shoulders.

"Okay. You little twerps, where is it?"

I rubbed my eyes. I wasn't very useful when I was drowsy. My brain cells wouldn't be opening up shop until at least an hour after I wake, and breakfast is had.

"Where is what?" I moaned. With speed surprising for a person with a sprained ankle, she was on my bed, gripping me by my shirt collar.

"My Styler! And, for that matter, my hair pin! You little thieves tugged me along to steal it, didn't you?"

"We've been asleep the whole time. Now go away." If I had been alert, I would sooner had eaten a Scyther that was still alive than mouth off to Juno. I put my head back down on my pillow, and Cyndaquil, who had happened to scoot on top of my pillow while Juno had been strangling me. He squeaked and jumped onto my nightstand.

"Hey, easy buddy! You might know off my Poké-" My Pokédex was gone. As was my Pokégear.

Wes had just gotten up as well. "Hey, my watch is missing, too."

Juno put her hands on her hips. "Well boys, it looks like we've got a crook loose in this Pokémon Center."

…

Wes, Juno, and I made our way to the lobby. Burgundy was sleeping in because, and I quote, "Ugggh…Momma needs her sleep…"

A crowd of Trainers and other Center guests, all dressed in attire consisting of either clothing, PJs, or towels and bathrobes, had gathered around the main desk. All of them seemed angry and were shouting. Next to the town's Nurse Joy, a police officer stood.

"Now, now, everyone calm down. We know your things are missing, and that you are very upset. But I assure you, Violet City's police are looking into it."

"Our stuff wasn't misplaced," shouted one boy. "It was stolen! My Pokédex is gone!"

"Yeah!" shouted a tall girl, who was using one hand to secure the towel around her body, and the other to balance the towel wrapped around her hair. "My hair-dryer is gone!"

"My phone!"

"My watch!"

"My glasses!"

"Hey!" shouted Juno, pushing her way to the front. "I'm a Ranger of the state, and I'm telling you all to shut up and keep your noses out of this mess! By the way, if you find a Fine Styler, contact me IMMIDIATELY, else I snap your puny little neck, and-"

"Okay, okay, okay." I pressed my and up against her mouth (Drowsy Mistake #2.) "I know you've all lost a lot of important stuff, and I can sympathize. But the police are stretched thin looking for this culprit, and we should help. I recommend we spilt up and search town, as well as the surrounding area. It may be a thief, or just a Pokémon causing trouble. It could be either; both have happened before. But if we work together, we can fix this problem!"

I heard a few murmurs of agreement, and the crowd slowly dispersed. The policeman nodded, and walked away. The nurse, who seemed not too adept to stress, took a few deep breaths and walked away.

Wes walked up to me. "Well, looks like we'll have to have a good-old-fashioned detective chase-down."

I pumped my fist in the air. "Yes! Let me go get my fedora!" I ran back to the room.

Juno looked at Wes. "Does he really carry a fedora with him?"

Wes sighed. "And a pipe."


	7. Chapter 6: Violet City Noire

I studied the dust outside of the Pokémon Center. I tapped my pipe, and blew a few bubbles out of it. "If the culprit was to enter every room in the Pokémon Center _without _sing the front door, or any of the windows, it had to have left tracks somewhere."

Wes licked his ice-cream cone. He and Juno didn't seem too interested in what they referred to as, "Will's Game of Make Believe." But it was more than that. Not only was my dignity, career, and gadgets at stake, but so was my record. As a kid, my elite detective squad had cracked the case of The Missing Christmas Cookies. I had relayed my triumphant story to Wes and Juno, only to have Juno say, "Will, you, you're baby cousin Kamella, and your old pet Growlithe don't count as a squad of detectives. And it also doesn't count as a case if the Growlithe ATE THE COOKIES!"

"Whatever. But look." I pointed to a small gathering of dust on the walkway. "There aren't any footprints here…but there are weird drag marks in the dust…Theory Number One!" I jumped up and walked over to my friends, making sure to stick my pipe in my mouth. "No one needed to get in…because they were already inside!"

Juno looked up from her ice-cream cone. "Will…that's actually not a bad idea. Someone inside could have snuck into all of the room last night!"

I smirked, tipping my fedora. "And who, _on the inside_ of the Pokémon Center, looked so relieved once I moved the search elsewhere?"

They thought for a moment.

…

**SUSPECT #1**

"Nurse Joy!" I rushed into the Pokémon Center. The surprised Nurse Joy shrieked and dropped all of the books she was carrying. This Nurse Joy was plump, and a bit shorter than the others. She had stubbed fingernails, like she chewed them a lot.

"Admit it! You're the thief! You stole all the stuff from the Trainers here!"

I barely raised my voice, but the Nurse looked like she was about to cry anyway. "I-I'm sorry you'd think so…b-b-but I…"

"Stole all of our stuff!" said Juno, rolling up her sleeves. "It was the perfect crime, wasn't it? The Police Officers couldn't find any evidence of anyone breaking in, because you already _were _in! _And _you had the master key to all the doors in here, so you didn't _need _to break in."

Nurse Joy began to shake. Her face turned red and tears streamed down her cheeks. "P-p-please don't yell at me. My doctor s-s-says that any more stress could raise my blood pressure and make my asthma attacks grow more frequent-"

"Cut the baby act! We know it was y-"

Nurse Joy began to hyperventilate, and she began to chew on a strand of hair. She ran back behind the counter, crying.

We stood there silently for a moment. Wes rubbed his hands together. "Well, maybe it _wasn't _her…"

Juno scoffed. "I think it's still her. I say we give her a wedgie and…"

"No! No wedgies, no nothing! I don't know how you deal with suspects in Almia, but that isn't how we do it here. Besides…" I plucked my pipe out of my mouth and raised it into the air.

"My mind hath cometh up with another theorem! To the next suspect!"

…

**SUSPECT #2**

I kicked open the door. "Police Officer Duncan, we've got your number!"

The police officer didn't even look up from his paperwork. "Obviously, son. You called ahead to make an appointment."

I walked over to his desk and slammed my palm down.

"You can't slide 'nothin past me, Chief. I'm all over you like water on a Vaporeon."

He looked around me to Wes. "What's wrong with your friend?"

Wes made an imaginary circle around his head with his finger. "He's on a bit of a detective kick."

"Not just a kick, a full on butt-whooping of Private Investigating! Now talk, or that dame over by the door 'l give you what for."

Juno crossed her arms. "First, no I won't, second, never call me 'dame' else you want to join that Nurse in my 'interrogation.'"

"Okay, but…wait, Nurse Joy is clean. Why are you still going to interrogate her?"

Juno shrugged. "You can never be too sure."

"Good point. Now, Chief, I'm gonna lay down the beat, and you're gonna pick it up. So far we know no one entered the Pokémon Center to commit the crime, and when I took the focus off of the Pokémon Center, you seemed relieved."

"Will, you used the same evidence against Nurse Joy," said Wes.

"So! Anyway, it's almost like there was some sort of…evidence left at the scene. Something you don't want us to know?"

"I was relieved, because as you can see, I have a mountain of paperwork to fill out. Crime reports from dozens of concerned Trainers, who lost their stuff. Paperwork that _I now need to fill out, which will probably take the rest of the day, maybe even until tomorrow_. NOW GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"

…

We walked down the streets, me bummed, and Wes and Juno enjoying another ice cream cone. Today was a bad day for PI Grey. I kicked a can down the street as we went.

"Okay, guys, so what do we know so far?"

Juno licked her ice cream. "That you're a complete nerd and no one else cares about this 'case?'"

"No…" I cleared my throat. "What we _know _is that no one entered the Pokémon Center, no doors or windows were forced open, and no one left. Who could have pulled that-"

"Hey guys! What's up?" We all turned around to face Burgundy, who was jogging towards us, Burgundy Jr. in her arms.

"Will is nerd-ing out and trying to be a detective. Somebody stole some of our stuff."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Most of my makeup and hair stuff was gone. I'm pretty bummed." She giggled and nuzzled the egg. "But when you're a mother, you always have something to be happy about!"

Wes sighed. "Burgundy, you aren't a mother. We've been through this."

Burgundy toted the egg. "Uncle Wes is still jealous. Don't listen to him." Burgundy perked up, as if remembering something. "Oh, yeah, guys, there's this adorable Pokémon in the park. I wanted to go pet it, but it ran away from me. Come check it out!"

We made our way to the park in the center of town. Next to a fountain, sure enough, was a tiny sheep Pokémon. If I had Dex, I'd identify it, but I didn't so…

I almost jumped out of my skin; Dex was _on _the Pokémon. As was a collection of Pokégear, watches, and a collection of other small metal objects. I even saw Juno's Fine Styler.

She clenched her fist. "That little rat Mareep! It stole my Styler!"

Wes studied it. "No, that's not it. From what I understand, Mareep is an Electric-Type."

"So, that doesn't stop me from kicking it!" Juno limped over to the Mareep, and kicked it in the belly (mistake number one.) She howled and clenched her bad foot, which she had used to kick Mareep. She fell on the ground and kicked it again, this time with her good foot (mistake number two.) The Mareep closed its eyes, and discharged a tremendous amount of electric energy onto Juno. She contorted and twisted, and when the shocking ceased, her body crackling with static, and her hair puffed up. All of the devices on Mareep fell onto the ground.

"What I was _going _to say was that Mareep must have built up so much static electricity in its fleece…"

I snapped my fingers. "The static fried the controls to all of the doors, and attracted the metal in the objects. And now that Mareep is discharged, she's okay!"

Juno twitched. "Hooray…"


	8. Chapter 7: Reporting Live

"Ow…ow…ow…" Nurse Joy added bandages 12 trillion-12 trillion and 3 to Juno's countless shock burns all over her body. Looks like she got the last laugh.

I sat by the fire, stroking the Mareep I had caught after it tired itself out shocking Juno. Word on the street is that the Gym Leader in this town, Falkner, is a Flying-Type Trainer. An Electric-Type like Mareep would do just fine against Flying-Types.

A steady stream of Trainers came and went, taking their missing gadgets and metal objects with them. Mareep had done the Pokémon version of an apology. It sincerely felt sorry, and there really was nothing it could do about it until it discharged all of its stored up energy.

"Will…ow…give me one good reason that…ow…I shouldn't skin that thing alive and make a fur…ow…coat…" said Juno.

"Because she's so sweet," cooed Burgundy, stroking Mareep. "Go give Auntie Juno a kissy-kiss." She nudged Mareep, and Juno skirted back as it approached. She sniffled.

"Get that little ball of fur…ow…away from me. It's done enough…plus, I think I'm allergic to wool…ow…"

…

"Woohoo!" I ran out of the Violet City Gym, Zephyr Badge in hand. Shellshocker tromped out behind me, and slapped me a high-five. I hadn't actually pitted him against Falkner, the Gym Leader; it wouldn't have been challenging that way. Instead, Mareep and Cyndaquil shared the battle. Though Cyndaquil was a bit over-eager, which eventually got it defeated, it still performed well.

My friends exited the Gym. "Man, that brought back memories," said Burgundy. "Remember Pewter City, Will? Remember when Team Grey was just us?"

"Why do you always say that?" asked Wes. "It's getting annoying."

"I just like to reminisce about back in the day, when you weren't around." She gave a sheepish grin. Wes punched her playfully in the shoulder.

"Hey, watch it! Baby on board!" She hugged the egg tighter.

Juno blew a strand of hair out of her eye and limped ahead of us. "Come on. I want to get to the waypoint halfway between here and Azalea Town by nightfall." I added my new badge to my case, and then addressed her.

"Hey, relax, there's no rush. We can take out time." Honestly, I wanted to put off Azalea Town for as long as possible. But it was inevitable; I'd have to face Team Plasma one way or another. "Uh…why don't we visit the Ruins of Alph? I heard they're pretty interesting."

Juno growled. "Fine. But this is the last field trip before we move on."

…

"Fantastic," said Juno, sitting on a rock. "Rocks. Rocks with writing. How interesting." She put her chin in her hand.

Wes wrote some things down on a notepad. "Hey, this is the knowledge and legacy of a civilization, lost to time and…"

"Well, if their civilization isn't around anymore, it must've not been that great. Now are you done scribbling down letters that no one uses anymore so we can…" she fingered her Styler. "No one move."

Burgundy and I, who had been joking around and mimicking a statue, froze in awkward poses. Juno's energy blade extended from her Styler. She remained motionless for a moment, and then swung around, swinging her blade in an arc. I heard a shriek and ran over. On the ground, behind the rock, was a girl. She had long, black curly hair, and a pair of headphones around her neck (like, the DJ kind). Over red and grey striped long-sleeve shirt, she wore a green, sleeveless green top. She also had leggings and a shirt that matched the undershirt. Her hands were over her head, and she was shivering.

"Juno…why did you try and decapitate this girl?"

"I don't know…I felt someone sneaking up on me. And let me tell you, when someone sneaks up on a Ranger, it's usually not for a hug…"

Burgundy bent over and helped her up. "I'm sorry for my friend's…behavior. Are you okay?"

The girl looked at us. She looked extremely shaken up (I couldn't blame her. Almost taking an energy sword to the face would probably make me flip on the ground too.) The girl had amber eyes, and bits of gravel flecked her face.

She brushed herself off. "I appreciate the…attempted haircut, but I'm fine."

Juno clenched her fists. "Well don't sneak up on a Ranger!"

She stamped her foot. "I was trying to get my pencil! I dropped it and it rolled away."

Wes held up a notepad. "Were you taking notes too?"

"Yeah. I'm doing a radio broadcast on the Ruins of Alph later this week. My name is Kelci by the way…Kelci Nightingale."

I shook her hand. After what Juno did, she was a bit reluctant to accept anything from us. I did the whole "Team Grey Introduction" thing.

"Oh, so you're eventually going to Goldenrod City?"

"Is that after Azalea Town?"

She nodded. I sighed.

"Then yes. Wanna come along?"

"That's a nice offer…" she looked at Juno. Juno literally hissed at her. "Well, my Pokémon aren't very strong, and there are some strange characters about. Well…what the heck? I'll come."

Juno struggled up onto her crutches. "What, is this a tour group?"

"Oh, what?" said Wes. "Another girl! That makes the girl-boy ratio on Team Grey 4-2! Unfair! Kelci, do you have a brother per chance?"

Kelci giggled. "Nope. Two sisters, though."

"C'mon," I said, walking towards the path out. "We should get to the midway point by nightfall."

Juno rolled her eyes. "_If only _I had thought of that…"


	9. Chapter 8: Out of the Bag

Kelci bumped into me for the million billionth time. She had her headphones on, and was closing her eyes and dancing as she walked. She bumped into Juno, who stumbled and almost flipped sideways over her crutches. Her nostrils flared.

"Kelci!" she yelled. "Watch where you're going, before I make sure _you _need these once I get done with them!"

Kelci opened one eye, pointed to her earphones, and continued doing her thing.

"I know! Take them out so you know where you're going!"

"Wha-eek!" Kelci took off her earphones to address Juno, but tripped and fell. Sitting there, behind her, was a small blue Pokémon, whit a gloppy tail and purple horns sticking out of its head.

"Ugh, stupid Whooper!" The Whooper sat there with a dumb, "I hear you but I really don't care," smile covering its face.

"You know, if that Pokémon was a little cooler, I'd probably get along with it. It made a nice first impression," said Juno.

"Whatever, just ignore it." We kept walking. Sure enough, in about five minutes, that same Whooper was sitting in front of us, with the same annoying grin on its face.

"Wha…how?" Kelci looked at the thing. "Beat it!" She kicked it like a football, and it sailed into the bushes.

"Kelci, was that really necessary?" asked Wes, trying to judge how far it went.

"That thing was up to something. Don't tell me you didn't think it was we-oh, come one!" It was in front of us again.

I got down on one knee in front of it and stroked its chin. "Maybe he just wants to be friends." It squirted mud in may face. "Okay, Kelci, get over here. Hold it down so I can punt this mother-"

"Okay, okay, calm down everyone." Wes held out a Pokéball. "If it will calm you all down, I'll catch this thing. Will that make everyone feel better? Will it?"

"Yes!" Kelci, Juno, and I chorused at the same time.

"Huh?" Burgundy looked up from her egg.

…

The Pokémon Center between here and Azalea Town was near the bend of a river. Wes and Juno went inside, while Burgundy, Kelci and I stayed outside and sat by the river. I took off my shoes and put my feet in the water. Water always calmed me down. I rested on the grass slope by the river, to enjoy the fading lights of day as the sun disappeared over the horizon. But abruptly, the sun was blotted out.

"Huh?" I looked up.

Kelci took off her earphones and did the same. "Is that…a giant flower?"

I recognized it. I moaned and put a hand to my forehead. "Oh boy. This ought to be good."

The flower rested itself on the ground, and then exploded into a storm of rose petals. Out stepped Ms. Elegant herself: Caitlin Grey, otherwise known as my sister.

"Ugh, come o-what do you want?"

She glided over to me, took off my hat and messed up my hair. She looked at my friends. "Is that how you guys greet family?"

"Of course not," said Burgundy in her "talking to the baby" voice. "A mother needs to be lenient and calm at all times."

Caitlin studied the egg. "Is she…"

"Don't…don't even start with that. So why are you here? Shouldn't you be off doing…I don't know, Unova things?"

Burgundy looked up. "And what exactly are _Unova things_, Will?"

I held up my hands. "Uh…nothing bad, I'm sure. Probably awesome, awesome th-no, why are you even here!?"

Caitlin sat down beside me, took off her slippers and put her feet into the water as well. "Things are getting a little crazy, in case you haven't heard."

"I'll say." Juno limped into the clearing with us, Wes in tow. "Who are you? Regional Director? Ranger Advance Core?"

Caitlin studied her for a moment. "Elite Four." She turned and looked at me and smiled. "Alright, Will, there are three girls here. Don't even try to tell me one isn't your girlfriend. Which one is it?"

"NONE-agh, why do you need to be here right now?"

"You're headed to Azalea Town, right?"

"Ugh…yeah…"

"Then I'll tag along." She smiled and wrapped me in a hug. I continued to sit there, motionless.

Wes slapped his hands on his legs. "Another girl? Really?"

Juno limped beside him and sat down on a stump. "Relax, Doc, I'm getting off this train with Caitlin in Azalea Town."

Kelci took advantage of one of the brief moments where her earphones were not on. "And I'm stopping at Goldenrod City."

"See Wes," I said, "Soon it'll be just us again. The Three Amigos. The OT."

"OT?"

"Original Team. You know, you Burgundy and I were, like, the first ones."

"Uh, wrong-o," Burgundy wagged a finger at us, not looking up from her egg. "The original team was Will and I. No Wes."

"See, why do you always do that? It's not like-"The two went on arguing. I drowned them out and looked at the river, focusing on what I would soon have to face in Azalea Town. I felt a small, delicate hand touch my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" asked Caitlin.

"Huh? Oh, it's just nothing."

"Come on, Will, you're my little brother." She kicked up her leg and splashed a little water on me. "I think I'd know when something is on your mind. Plus, I'm kind of psychic."

I turned to her. I looked over my shoulder. Everyone else was preoccupied. I decided I didn't care who heard; friend of enemy.

"Guys, listen up. There's something I need to say. I proceeded to tell them everything.

…

I finished. For a solid minute, everyone stared into open space and at the ground; at anything that wasn't me. I broke the silence.

"So…I understand if you all hate me now."

Burgundy sat up. "Why would we hate you?"

"Because…I'm one of _them _now."

"But you said you'd resist them as much as possible."

"I know, and I will, but…I just don't know…"

Wes sat down next to me. "Hey, do what you have to do. And be sure that you know we'll help you every step of the way. No best friend of mine is dying on my watch."

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure Mom and Dad and everyone else stays out of harm," said Caitlin, standing up and brushing herself off. "And besides, Team Plasma is a bit…busy right now. They won't be taking notice of what you've said."

I felt much better. "Thanks, Caitie." I looked at the other three. "Well…what do you think? Are you with me?"

Burgundy stood up. "Uh, duh! You'd die without me! Literally this time. All joking aside, you can count on _mui_."

"Sounds like fun." Kelci stood up. "I barely know ya'll, but you're all great friends and I wouldn't mind taking down a few bad guys. I'm in."

We all looked at Juno. She crossed her arms. "Listen, of course I'm in. I'm a Ranger; it's kind of my job. Morons. Anyway, yeah, I'll come, but if I get any inclination that you are actually turning to their side, like, for real, don't think I won't deal with you."

Burgundy held an arm out across my chest. "Will would never! Right Will?"

"Right." I hoped the answer remained that way.

AS we prepared to make our way to the Pokémon Center, Caitlin stopped me.

"Will, why didn't you tell me this earlier. I'm your big sister, you can tell me anything."

I kicked at the dirt. "I know, but…I was just really scared and confused."

She nodded. "I understand. And about the family gift, I'm glad you finally inherited it."

"Yeah, how come you never told me about that?"

She giggled. "Not for nothing, but every time I got something and you didn't, you'd get crazy jealous. Don't tell me I'm wrong."

I tried to protest. "I…ugh, fine."

My sister giggled again. "Now, about Azalea Town. I can get us all there lickedy-split."

"Wait, no-"It was too late. Rose petals swirled around us in a tornado. And in a split second, we were gone.


	10. Chapter 9: Demons

"-teleportation!" It was too late though. We had appeared in Azalea Town. The rose petals drifted away. I staggered to the side, clutching my stomach. "Caitlin! You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Oopsie," said Caitlin, sticking the toe of one of her heels into the sand and twisting it back and forth. She put on the darndest innocent little girl look and put her hand behind her back. "I forgot." She smiled and punched me in the shoulder. "Lighten up, little brother!"

I clutched my mouth. "Trust me; I may be getting a few pounds lighter in a few minutes, if you know what I mean."

Burgundy shifted from foot to foot. "So…what now? Will, don't you have to-EEEEEEK!" Burgundy held out the egg. It was glowing. "It's coming! The baby is coming!"

Wes face-palmed. "Burg, it's not an actual-"

"Shhhhh!" Burgundy ran over to me, ripped off my jacket, and put it on the ground like a pillow. She placed the egg on it and took out her camera. "I have to get everything in this baby's life!"

The egg began to glow brighter. I have to admit, I was actually pretty interested. I had never witnessed an egg hatch in person. I saw that video in Health Class, but other than that…

Two small arms poked out the side. Ten spikes appeared on the head. The fanned open like a crest. The egg remained, almost as a garment.

"Toki," said the baby Pokémon.

"No way." Kelci bent over and studied it. "That's a Togepi. These are almost extinct."

Wes picked it up. "I've never seen nor heard of one of these." The Togepi opened its eyes. It cooed, and waved its arms.

"Aw," said Caitlin. "It thinks Wes is its Mommy!"

Burgundy stamped her foot. "No! I'm its mother! I carried this baby around for-"

"Three days," filled in Juno.

"Does it matter? What matters is that I carried this child with love." She walked over to Wes, and doing her best to be subtle and gentle, yanked it from his hands. "Hi, Togepi! Say 'hi' to Mommy! Can you say 'Mommy'?"

Togepi studied her for a minute, and then began to wail.

"Great job, Mommy," said Juno. "It isn't even ten minutes old, and you've scared it for life."

"But I-ugh!" She recalled it to its Pokéball. She stomped off towards the Pokémon Center.

"Burgundy, wait up! I'll deal with this," said Kelci, as she raced off in pursuit.

Juno sat down. "Well, are we gonna find this 'contact' or what?"

"Already taken care of." We turned around. A man in a white, sleeveless shirt approached. He wore a white band around his shaggy brown hair. A Farfetch'd followed him.

"Hey, Wally, remember me?"

I put on my best "not interested in your comedy" look. "It's Will. And no, I don't"

"Oops, sorry. The suit." His skin glowed green, and all of his features shifted. When the light faded, Morpheus stood there. The Farfetch'd changed into his Zoroark.

"Welcome to Johto!" He opened his arms wide. "Enjoying it so far?"

"I was."

Morpheus laughed. "Good kid. Well, here's what ya' gotta do. You remember Team Rocket, right?"

"Yeah," said Caitlin. "They were a big deal in Kanto. Why, were you affiliated?"

Zoroark poked itself in the chest. "Us. They were a front; a way for us to be criminals on the scene and in hiding as well. You remember what we told you about our original plan, Operation Scapegoat?"

"Yeah."

"Team Rocket was one of those organizations we were gonna use. They did our dirty work, we got some important things done. Like Mewtwo…"

I reached onto my back and felt my scar. "Yes, like Mewtwo. So what?"

"Well, Team Rocket reached its usefulness. See, after you get beat by a ten year old on multiple occasions, you lose notoriety. We set them up for their own defeat. Most of em' got captured, the grunts; those who knew nothing. We kept the important ones. Like Giovanni. But he eventually reached his plateau of usefulness." Morpheus drew a line across his neck with his finger and made a ripping noise.

"Well, Team Rocket has pretty much turned into the criminal organization version of a cult. They worship Giovanni as their true leader, who will one day return from hiding and once again create a god-like Pokémon and take over the world. They think they were actually important. They're coming back. Trying, at least."

Juno put her hands on her hips. "Well, tough guys, why can't you do it? You defeated them when they were the mightiest criminal organization on Earth? Why can't you crush a little uprising?"

"There's something you've gotta understand, kid." Morpheus began to pace. "Before, when they were on top, they had assurance. Assurance makes you weak; it makes your mind blot out every possible bad outcome, which blinds you. These rebels have hope. And hope is a dangerous, dangerous thing. You would be surprised what the desperate and needy will do to get and retain just a little hope."

"So you want me to take 'em out while you do more important things?"

"Bingo! Team Rocket has been seen walking in and out of the Slowpoke Well here. Flush 'em out, and you can move on with your little adventure."

…

I waved my foot at the bottom rung of the ladder. It touched solid ground. I let go.

"Okay, guys, it's good! You can come down." Wes came down, followed by Caitlin. Juno, though she did put up a fight, couldn't come due to her crutches. Caitlin convinced her to "stand guard." She wasn't buying it, but she stayed. Kelci was probably still comforting Burgundy at the Pokémon Center.

"Well," Caitlin squinted her eyes. "Did anyone bring a lantern or a flashlight?"

We all stood there silently for a moment. "Oops."


	11. Chapter 10: Insert Science Joke Here

"Great, just great." Caitlin put her hands down on her hips. "Well, unless we want to fumble around in the dark, we should probably go back and get a light."

Wes shook his head. "No, if we leave, we risk letting them get away."

"Good point."

I pulled out a Pokéball. "Guys, I have an idea! Cyndaquil, come out!"

"Cynda!" My little buddy looked eager to help in any way, as always. In this case, that was definitely good. I scooped him up.

"Okay, buddy, I'm sorry for this." I held him in my palm. I slightly squeezed his belly, and with a click which sounded exactly like a flashlight, his back fire turned on. A beam of light shone out of his open mouth.

"You've got to be kidding," said Caitlin.

"Cool!" said Wes. "I didn't know he could do that!"

…

We crept through the came, hunkered down, me waving Cyndaquil back and forth. Eventually, we came to a ridge blocked by stalagmites. We peered over. Lights dotted the floor below us. People in black uniforms with a red "R" on the chest walked about, picking up Slowpoke from pens and bringing them over to a flat rock slab. Most Slowpokes didn't even put up a struggle, and those that did quit after a few seconds.

One grunt walked over to the table with a Slowpoke. I cringed and looked away when I saw another Rocket grunt raise a butcher's knife.

"We have to stop them," whispered Caitlin.

I nodded. "So I think the plan should be…she's gone, isn't she?"

Wes nodded. We peered back over the ridge. My sister had appeared right in the middle of the operation. Startled grunts turned and pointed odd looking pistols at her. One who stood out from the rest began to stride towards her. He was sharper looking than the rest, and green hair poked out from under his hat.

I motioned to Wes. "Come on, we need to climb down there and help."

"Uh uh, dude, we can barely fight!"

"Skye taught me how back in Kanto. Plus, Shocker can help us. Come on!" We began to slowly climb down the rock wall.

…

"Well, what is a pretty little lady like yourself doing in a dark, moldy cave like this?" The stranger swaggered over and leaned on a rock.

"My name is Caitlin Grey of the Unova Elite Four, and I am here to prevent further injustice against these harmless Slowpoke."

The stranger snorted. "They're pretty weak, but the definitely ain't harmless. They have _some _Psychic-powers, mind you. One of my grunts is taking a little nap behind one of these rocks right now. A Slowpoke gave her a crazy headache."

"You all deserve worse."

He laughed. "Listen, sweetheart, you couldn't take just one-"

"Caitlin, we're here!" I plopped down from about a five foot drop. Cyndaquil plopped down on my head. Wes finished the entire climb and brushed himself off. I rubbed my rear and stood up. "Yeesh, that sucked. Well, we're here to fight Team Rocket."

"Very funny! Got any more? We've run out of funny jokes down here, being in this cave so long. But do you really think you can stand a prayer against the mighty Team Rocket?"

Caitlin took a step forward. "The _once _mighty Team Rocket. The same team Rocket that almost got my father killed, and I intend to pay you back for every second I sat by the television, worried that night when you took over Silph Co. Worried that my father wouldn't come home."

"Aw, is the little girl scared?" said the stranger in a condescending tone. "Sorry to tell you, but I wasn't in Team Rocket at the time. But now, I am one of the top dogs. Proton, of the Team Rocket Executives!"

I snorted. "Proton? So is that your shtick. Are the other two Neutron and Electron?"

He blinked his eyes in confusion. "My what?"

"You know, the running joke with your team name."

"I don't…I don't understand."

"Like, the Go-Rock Quads were one of those family bands."

Wes tapped his foot. "The Go-What Who's?"

"Go-Rock Quads. I don't know either. Skye told me about them. Apparently, they tried to take over Fiore with like, the power of music or something. And then when they got foiled the cops just let them go, even though they disrupted thousands of lives and burned an entire section of Fiore to the ground."

"That's stupid!"

"I know, right? And then there was, like, some poacher group called the Pinchers, which I don't understand why they didn't just call themselves Poachers, but, like, the three guys in charge all had different colored eyes. There was like, Blue Eyes, Red Eyes, uh…Purple, I think?"

"You can't have purple eyes!"

"Burgundy has purple eyes!"

"I though you said they were lilac?"

"Lilac is a shade of purple."

We kept going back and forth. Proton looked at my sister. "Do…they do this often?"

Caitlin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. "All the time. All-the-time. But, cutting to the chase, you can leave, or we can settle this ourselves."

Proton laughed, and I heard the weapons of all the grunts clicking and loading. "And you'll do what, exactly?"

And then my mind officially was blown. Caitlin narrowed her eyes. "This!" She lurched forward, and Jedi-force pushed Proton into a wall. The grunts fired their weapons. Blue balls of energy shot out. Caitlin vanished. She re-appeared behind a grunt, and kind him in midair. She vanished again. She appeared in front of another grunt, and grabbed his pistol, bashing him in the forehead with it.

Wes and I watched, jaws agape. Caitlin appeared and disappeared, her hair waving behind her like a cape. She was putting on a fearsome display of her amazing Psychic-powers(which I had no idea she had.)

Wes began to stammer. "Should we, uh, should we like, help?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah!" My arm crackled with Cryo-energy as I rushed forward. Cyndaquil squealed and clung onto my head. I threw a right hook at a grunt, but he dodged my and rammed into my gut. Cyndaquil hopped onto his head, however, and grabbed his ear. He yelped and backed off. I grabbed him by the face and unleashed a wave of Cryo-energy. He twitched, then fell to the floor, out cold.

I looked over to Caitlin. She was being pushed back by an oncoming wave of Rocket grunts, all armed with nightsticks. She approached a rock bridge. She picked up a long piece of driftwood and smiled.

"Hey, guys, check this out!" She raised the stick high over her had as the grunts rushed forward. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" she yelled, and slammed the rod down on the bridge. All of the grunts were knocked off, into the river below.

I looked over to the table. Proton was aiming a Plasma-sniper at my sister, who was busy fighting off more grunts. I looked at my hand. I could attempt to shoot a bolt of energy, but…even if I could do that, it would probably take time to charge. But then I looked down a Cyndaquil. He looked up at me, and nodded. I picked him up, and threw him like a baseball. He landed on the barrel of Proton's gun, just in time. It jerked to the right, and the Plasma-bolt struck a rock. Proton tried to swing Cyndaquil off, but it hung on. It looked up at him and launched a Smokescreen at Proton's face. He dropped the rifle and stumbled back, clutching his face. He fell backwards, into the river.

**Hey, guys, rare author note time! I'm sorry about the inconsistent updating, but things have been getting busy for me. Well, things have been busy for a few weeks now, but this week in particular was a busy one. But it is over now, so I should be resuming my normal schedule of updates with a few exceptions every once in a while. Thanks for reading, appreciate it!**

**-TrainerNaps**


	12. Chapter 11: Rise

I thanked Arceus and everything holy as I climbed the final rung of the ladder and emerged from the well, with Caitlin slung over my shoulder. After she had finished off the rest of the grunts, she had just cashed out and was fast asleep. Apparently this is why she's always tired. But really, she's still just plain lazy.

The police must have felt the same way as I. They had to go down into the well, pick up an unconscious Rocket grunt, and climb back up. Dozens of them had been captured, but Proton was nowhere to be found. I was sure we would be seeing him again, real soon.

I looked over, across the field. Juno was standing up, one of her feet bare. I recognized it as the one with the messed up ankle. She was doing simple exercises such as touching her toes and stretching. I put the napping Caitlin down in the grass. She curled up into a ball and continued sleeping. I walked over to Juno.

"Well, look who finally decided to come back."

"Shouldn't you still be on crutches?" I asked.

"Crutches are stupid. I don't wanna use them anymore. Who cares what some pea-brained not-good-enough-to-be-a-real-doctor nurse says."

Wes rolled his eyes. "Yeah, who in their right mind would listen to a medical expert?"

Juno rolled her shoulder and cracked her neck. "Well, time to get back into those woods and kick that monster's butt."

"Wait, what monster? You never said anything about a monster?" This 'monster' sounded like bad news. If Juno was weary of it, I don't think I'd ever want to meet this thing in a dark alley. Then again, nothing met in a dark alley is usually good…

"Wait, don't you want to watch my Gym Battle?"

Juno tapped her foot. She sighed. "I guess. But I won't like it."

…

"That was way too easy. Good job, Quilava!" Quilava nodded. Cyndaquil had evolved when facing the Gym Leader's only threatening Pokémon, Scyther. "By the way, who even names there daughter Bugsy?"

"Uh, Will?" said Kelci. "You do realize Bugsy was a dude, right?"

I looked at her. "What!?"

"Well, this is it." Juno stopped at the opening in the trees. "The entrance to the forest, Abandon all hope, ye who enter."

Burgundy, who was still a bit depressed, shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Well…this monster sounds really scary. I don't think I can…"

"Don't worry," said Juno, handing her a rolled up piece of paper. "This map will show you a safe route through the Ilex Forest. It's the middle path you want to avoid. That's where the monster's lair is…"

Kelci gulped. "L-l-lair?"

Juno nodded. "Yup. If you're too much of a wuss to come, then go. We'll meet up on the other side. Elite Four, I want you to come. If what I heard was true."

Caitlin nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty awesome. I'll come."

I returned Quilava to its ball. "I'm coming too."

Caitlin and Juno exchanged glances. "Um…its okay, Will."

"No, I can fight! I'm gaining more control over my Cryo-powers!"

"But I thought you said you didn't discover what our ability was yet," said Burgundy.

"Yeah, but…I can do the energy…thing. Plus, Skye taught me…basic combat?"

Juno sighed. "Fine. But if you die, I'm not-ow!"

Caitlin elbowed her in the shoulder.

…

Juno, Caitlin and I proceeded down the center path. Wes, Kelci, and Burgundy had gone down the other path.

"So, Juno, what is this monster like?" I asked.

"It's about 5"8-"

"Pft! Some monster!"

She gave me an angry look. "-with a fiery cloud of dark energy concealing its entire being."

My shoulders drooped. "Oh…"

"I'm sure we'll do fine," said Caitlin. "If we stick together."

_"CLARIFICATION: IF YOU STICK TOGETHER, IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO EVISERATE YOU!" _

We all turned towards the sound of the metallic voice. Standing in the tree was an orange, humanoid machine, with a hexagonal, almost insectoid face. It had two glowing red eyes, and held a plasma rifle, leveled at us. It launched an explosive bolt as us. I felt Caitlin's hands grab my shoulder. There was a blur, and all of a sudden we were about a yard away. A smoldering crater occupied the space where I had stood a moment ago. I was still dizzy from the sudden teleportation. I decided to let it slide this time.

"What is that thing?" I screamed.

_"STATEMENT: I AM DESIGNATION PLASMA HUNTER KILLER MARK 52. MY LIST OF PERFORMABLE TASKS INCLUDE GUARDING PROTOCOLS, SABOTAGE, AND FOREMOST, ASSASSANATION."_

"Is this the monster?"

Juno looked at me. She looked genuinely worried. "Nope!"

We heard a rustle behind us. "Hello, Skye!"

Juno ducked, in the nick of time, as a sword arced over her head. Shear, with a very pleased expression on her face, was joining in on the ambush.

In that split second, Juno's blade roared to life and she sprang back up and countered.

"Oops," said Shear, remaining firm in her position. "Thought you were someone else. Oh well." She leaned in close. "That last Ranger left a…bad taste in my mouth. So to speak." She smiled and licked her lips.

Juno regained her furious look of anger and determination took its rightful place on her face. "I don't know who you are, but maybe I'll take the time to find out when I clean your blood off my sword."

"Oh, we've got a feisty one here. Skye didn't have it in her to make insults or trash talk. She was always _very busy._"

Shear let out a roar and pushed back on Juno. She did a backwards roll, and popped back up. "Listen, Skye is a lot of things. But she is _not _weak! A handful to travel with, but not weak!"

"You've spent extended amounts of time with that cretin?"

"Oh, don't even get me _started_! There was this one time we had to track down these pirates, and we had to camp out on the beach; _I swear to Arceus _she made me stay up all night and make sure that the tide didn't creep up on us."

"You don't say."

"Yeah, I…wait a minute!" She re-took her stance. "Nice try, but bagging on co-workers won't get me to lower my guard! And Skye is a-" She gulped like she was swallowing a golf ball. "-delightful and kindhearted individual."

"Does it hurt to tell the truth, Ranger?"

"Yeah, I don't do it too often. So what?"

Shear swung her sword back and forth. "What about you two? Are you just gonna stand still and let my little toy knock you down, or are you going to fight? Excuse me, _try and fight!_"

Energy crackled in my palm. "Bring it!"

"Maybe I'll-gyah!" She lunged to the side of a beam of chaotic red energy tore through the forest.

"Well," said Juno, who was now legit afraid. "_That _is the monster!"


	13. Chapter 12: Royale

"HK, off the girl! Then help me with Maelstrom!" shouted Shear.

"_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: YES MASTER." _HK-52 reloaded his plasma rifle and continued to fire at my sister, who would just nimbly teleport out of the way. But the battle with Proton and Team Rocket in the well taught me something; Psychic powers are extremely taxing on a skinny 20 year old girl. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. I had to help her.

"Caitie, don't worry I'm coming!" I ran over to her aid, but skidded to a stop when Maelstrom landed in front of me. He punched the ground, and a wave of red energy pushed me back several feet. I tried to get up, but felt a sharp pain in my side. A shadow fell over me; Shear. Her sword was raised over her head. She brought it down.

I closed my eyes, but hesitantly opened them when I heard a _KSSSSH!_ A glowing blue blade had intercepted Shear's sword. Juno had come to the rescue.

"Idiot!" said Shear. "I was attacking Maelstrom!"

Juno smirked, thin did and amazing flip-kick that connected with Shear's stomach. "My bad." Shear recovered and landed on a low tree branch, then proceeded to climb the tree.

I thought quickly. I charged my leg with energy and then kicked Maelstrom in the stomach. Nothing happened. In fact, my close vicinity to Maelstrom probably made my kick cause more damage to me than it. Maelstrom raised its arms to the sky and shouted. Juno and I were rocketed back by the energy.

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Caitlin had given up on her defensive strategy and began a pattern of attack. She literally caught a missile out of the air (yep, that's my sister, ladies. Were related.) and threw it right back. HK blocked with its rifle, and when the smoke cleared, it didn't have a scratch on it.

Maelstrom turned, attracted to the sound. I dashed at Caitlin. Caitlin stood completely straight, and stuck her fists together. She took a deep breath, and then did the biggest Force-push yet. Her cascade of blond hair was sent waving as if a storm force wind had blown into her.

Maelstrom covered its face, but only stopped for a second. It shot a blast of red energy boasting the power of a nuclear missile. But Caitlin held firm. She crossed her arms in an X, and was slowly pushed back. After about ten seconds, the back of her ankle touched a tree. She was about to be pushed back.

Just when all seemed lost for my sister, the beam stopped. I looked over; Shear had thrust her sword through Maelstrom's gut. It swung around and knocked Shear back. Her sword went with her. The wound closed within seconds.

Juno and Caitlin looked at each other, and nodded. They both lunged, from opposite sides. Caitlin prepared for a flying kick just as Juno raised her sword. Maelstrom simply dodged.

Caitlin thought fast. She teleported away just as Juno's sword would have impaled her. Maelstrom flipped back around and grabbed Juno by the collar. He threw her…right into HK's rifle. Juno swung her sword around and cut it in half.

"_LOGISTIC: THAT MUCH CANNOT STOP ME FROM PERFORMING PRIMARY OBJECTIVES, MEATBAG." _He punched at Juno, but she blocked with her Styler. Her sword fizzled and vanished. She attempted a punch, but HK caught her fist. He twisted her arm. Juno shrieked. HK's cold stare didn't waver.

HK's head jerked forward, and a small cloud of smoke fizzled upwards. He turned. I still stood in my throwing pose, panting. That energy bolt had taken a lot out of me.

_"OBSERVATION: I AM PLAGUED BY THE PRESENCE OF ORGANIC TROUBLEMAKERS. VERY COMPERABLE TO REACTION ONE WOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM INSECTS. AND-"He_ raised his arm, pointing it at me. _"-WITH THE SAME TECHNIQUE OF EXTERMINATION."_

I black cable shot out of his wrist. It wrapped around me, and the kick knocked me back. My arms had been restrained on my torso, and my legs could barely move. I feel on the ground, only able to twist and roll. I turned to the side. In my sideways vision I saw Maelstrom being backed up by a combination of knives thrown and walls of force. Caitlin and Shear weren't working together; rather they were taking advantage of the brief space in between each time they clashed.

Maelstrom turned as he backhanded a knife away. And then he turned and saw me. I squirmed and tried to get up, but to no avail. Maelstrom readied a pulse of energy in its hand, and launched it at me in a chaotic beam. I was toast. I closed my eyes and prepared to embrace oblivion.

But instead of feeling…well, whatever death feels like, I felt a sonic boom and an earsplitting screech. I opened my eyes. Caitlin was standing not two feet from me. Her hands were held out before her, holding back the blast. But she was continuously pushed back. Until it crushed her.

She was sent rocketing over me. I couldn't see; I was still pinned. I struggled. "N-no!" My fingers contorted and thrashed, trying desperately to grab anything. I felt a cool, round surface; a Pokéball. I twisted it around, and felt the button. I pressed it.

"Stoise!" I felt a large shadow loom over me.

"Shellshocker, get me out of this thing!" Shellshocker's muscular arms tore off my restraints with ease. I shot to my feet. "Hydro Pump, now!"

Maelstrom raised his arms to block the Hydro Pump, and succeeded. But just as the jet of water faded, Shear dashed in and swiped at his head. He leaned back to dodge, and kicked Shear in the stomach. I walked over to her, and planted a foot on her stomach. He pointed his finger at his face like a gun. The tip glowed with red energy.

I saw Shear's eyes shimmer. But Maelstrom just grunted. And walked away.

"HK, get over here! After him!"

_"AS YOU SAY, MASTER."_ HK pushed Juno back. Rockets shot out of his feet, and he hovered into the air. He zoomed into the forest, followed by Shear.

I didn't care what was going on with them. I ran over to my sister. He clothes were smoldering. She had a few cuts and bruises on her face. Juno walked over to us, rubbing her wrists.

"What-oh. Oh Arceus." Shocker lifted her into his arms, tears flowing down his cheeks. Just like mine.


	14. Chapter 13: Lifeline

The heart rate monitor let out its constant beep. I sat in the chair next to Caitlin's hospital bed. Juno, Shellshocker and I had continued down the middle path, and incidentally ran into the others on the way out. We wasted no time getting to Goldenrod City, and checking my sister into the hospital. Maelstrom had hurt her. Badly.

She lie, still unconscious, in the bed. She had been outfitted with a neck brace. The cut on her lower lip had begun to scar over. Her left leg was in a plaster cast, with her toes poking out the end. Both of her arms were broken.

Tears flowed down my cheeks. "Caitie…I'm so sorry."

Juno put her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, cheer up kid. It wasn't your fault. She-"

"She what!?" I broke her contact and flipped around. "She blocked Maelstrom's blast? Was that what you were going to say!?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"But what!? That's my point! She blocked it for me! If I hadn't gotten in the way…or if I had just taken the blast-"

Juno's gaze hardened. "Okay, this is where I draw the line! Sorry If I'm sounding insensitive, but I hate survivor's guilt. Do you know what that is?"

I sniffled and wiped away a few tears. "No."

"It's when someone gets hurt or dies, and the person with them tries to convince themselves that it was their fault, and that it should have been them instead of the person who got hurt. They almost feel _bad _about having made it through okay. That gets nothing accomplished. You can't bargain with fait. Especially if the time is already passed."

"But-"

"But nothing! Kid, I know this looks bad, and it is. I can understand you're so on edge because you watched your sister get whooped pretty bad. But on the bright side, she'll be fine! In a few weeks, she'll be back on her feet!"

I couldn't help but acknowledge that Juno was right. I looked back at my sister. I had never seen her so broken before. And because of me…no, what Juno said. Not because of me. She had made the decision to take the hit, not me.

I checked the clock. It was almost midnight. Juno yawned. "You should get some sleep, kid."

"I will. I'm staying here though. Goodnight."

Juno smiled, and stretched and she turned to the door. "Night, kid. Tell your sister I said 'What's up' if she comes out of it."

…

Juno winced as she applied the bandage to her stomach. Maelstrom had caused a pretty nasty gash. She put on her shirt, and then her armor chest-piece. She limped over to the window by which HK-52 stood, watching. From this empty apartment, they had been staking out the Goldenrod Broadcast tower. Every now and then, a Team Rocket Grunt or two or three would walk by, stare at it or fiddle with some communicator, and then leave.

_"QUERY: MY DATABASE CONTAINS MINIMAL DATA ON THE ORGANIZATION TEAM ROCKET. DO YOU HAVE A THEORY ON WHY THE ORGANIC TROUBLEMAKERS CLASSIFIED AS TEAM ROCKET GRUNTS ARE ACTING IN SUCH A MANNER?"_

Shear winced, not because of the pain, but because of the memory. "No HK, but I do have a bit of an outline…"

And just like that the memory resumed.

…

"Now, if we may begin, we will begin the mission overview." King Plasma's hologram faded, but his voice remained. Holographic date overtook the space above the table.

"From out last mission, which was a complete success, we have gathered data imperative to our effort. We have discovered the new location of Project Genesis."

The data faded. A holographic model of a city retook it's place. A tall tower stood in the middle. The map slowly rotated.

"Silph Co." said Krim. "So, what, we gonna disguise ourselves as a tour group? I think Shear should be the mean substitute teacher…"

Strella swatted him on the head. "Shut up, you moron, and listen!"

"Thank you, Agent Strella. As I was saying, Project Genesis is located inside the Silph Co. building. As we speak, Team Rocket is moving to take it over. But that is just a distraction. Hopefully, Red will take the bait and go upwards, to find and rescue the CEO. We, however, will be heading towards the basement."

The holo-map zoomed in underground Silph Tower, and gave a floor layout of all three levels.

"I will give credit where credit is due; the CEO of Silph Co. was smart in designing its security. The basement can only be reached from a freight elevator on Level 29 of the tower. That floor is swimming at all times with guards and security systems. And once one of these systems is tripped-"

"-then the whole building comes," finished Morpheus. "Yeah, basic stuff. Why are you telling us this?"

"Because, if an alarm is tripped, our objective will be unobtainable." The map zoomed in on a large, techy door. "If an alarm is tripped, this door will double-lock. Also, the objective will be sent to an underground tunnel, and sent away, setting us back once more."

"So how we gonna get it if everything is an alarm?" questioned Mogar.

The map un-zoomed, this time to a highway just outside Saffron City. It zoomed on a fancy car driving down it. "A higher up in the company has the key to unlocking it. That is why we will once more be splitting into two teams: one to get the key and one to seal the objective. But this needs to be a surgical operation; both objectives must be seized within minutes of each other. Every few minutes, the security systems do a sweep of the area. You can delay it, but it has its own backup power source, which will re-boot it no matter what. And the one with the key has to do a check-in every 15 minutes. If either are alerted ahead of time, the mission will fail."

Krim sighed. "Let me guess; Alpha Team and Gamma Team once again. Us Controls on Gamma, going for the easy one-"

"Once again, Agent Krim, your loud mouth betrays you. You are wrong. Alpha Team will in fact be going for Objective Alpha; the door. Team Alpha will consist of Agents Krim, Shear, Morpheus, and Gold. Team Gamma will consist of Karrgon, Strella, and Mogar, who will go for Objective Gamma; the key. Your helicopters depart in half an hour. Good look."

Everyone stood at attention. "Yes, my lord!" Everyone broke. I turned to leave, but felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face Gold. "I look forward to performing with you in the field. I heard your scores were the second best-"

Shear slapped his hand off. "Listen, and listen well! I don't care what the scores say; simulators are different than the real deal! You've been the one shooting, just wait until your targets shoot back for real!"

Gold let a small smirk exist on his face for a few seconds, but then his face regained its usual calmness. "I don't shoot."

"Well, whatever you do, just keep in mind; Shear in _never _number two!"

"I'm just trying to be friendly. We are teammates, you know. We'll have each other's backs out there. At the very least, I will have yours."

Shear continued to leave. "Excuse me, but I have mild…trust issues."

Gold raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be?"

"None of your business. Now would you mind you own business!"

"Understood. If anyone should understand a questionable past, its me." He kicked at the ground. "But can you at least tell me one thing?"

"What would that be?"

"Why would a beautiful woman like yourself join an organization like this?"

Shear paused for a moment, the finished her departure from the room.

"To get even."


	15. Chapter 14: Getting Stronger

I felt a gentle hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes. I looked below me; all I could see was a white blanket. I must have fallen asleep while leaning on Caitlin's bed. I looked up. Her left eye was cracked open, looking at me. The other one, though out of my range of vision, was swollen shut anyway.

"Hey, sport," she croaked. "How did you sleep?"

I rubbed the crud out of my eyes. "Not gonna lie, pretty terrible."

She tried to chuckle, but the winced at the pain.

"Take is easy, Sissy. You got hurt pretty bad." A little background; Sissy was what I call Caitlin when I felt bad. When I was younger, and didn't know any better, I would do dumb little kid things and I would, as my mother told four-year-old me, "You hurt Sissy's feelings. Say you're sorry." So it got into a habit of calling her Sissy whenever something was my fault. But this habit had the unfortunate side-effect of tipping Caitlin off whenever I had done something wrong. I had a terrible guilty conscience, and dishonesty always tore me apart.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. _I _chose to block the blast, not you. I mean, I'm not blaming myself for saving you, but I got this way on my own accord. Don't feel bad."

"Yeah, but-uh, I know. I'd give you a hug, but…" Caitlin moved her fingers up and down from her arm casts.

"Yeah, good point. Now get out of here. Don't you have a journey or something to go on?"

"Are you sure you don't want anything?"

As weak as it still appeared, she managed a smile. "I'll be fine. You should probably wrap up everything you've got to do in this town soon, though. Mom got news of this and…well, when she gets here…"

I shuddered at the thought. When one of us got hurt, Mom went into Super Overprotective Mode. I remember once when I twisted my ankle, every time Caitlin would walk home from school, she'd get a full on check-up from Dr. Overkill. She'd check for scrapes or bumps or parasites every time she went out to get the mail.

"Hey, chin up, little brother. I'll be fine! In a couple of weeks, I'll be out of here. Don't worry about me."

I tried my best to put on a smile for my weak sister. "Goodbye."

…

I walked into the lobby outside. Juno was fiddling with her Fine Styler. Wes and Burgundy were just sitting, hands crossed, and waiting. Burgundy looked up.

"How is she? Is she better?"

I nodded, and then sat down next to Juno. "Yeah, she's better. She's pretty shaken up, but she'll be better eventually."

Juno put down her screwdriver, and pressed a button on the Styler. It buzzed to life. "Yes! Finally, I can check my e-mails! Let's see…spam, spam, sightseeing pictures from Skye, spam…delete, delete, delete, delete…oh, wait, coupon for Styler Coils…keeping…"

Wes leaned forward. "Juno, I've been meaning to ask you, why do you hate Skye?"

Juno looked up. Her nose wrinkled. "_Hate _Skye? I don't hate Skye. She's my best friend."

"Yeah, well you always seem to mock her and yell and put her down."

"That's just how I am. It's like a rivalry, too. Will, you understand, right?"

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, but I _do _actually hate my rival." Juno nodded.

"Yes, good point. You know, the only difference between my rival and yours is mine is somewhat of a decent human being." I chuckled.

"True that. Hey, where's Kelci?"

"She said she had to go do some things. She'll be back for your battle with Whitney, though," said Wes.

I scratched my chin. "Whitney…I've heard she's pretty tough. I should probably train."

…

"Okay, now, Flaffy, use Thunderbolt! Quilava, see if you can use your Flamethrower to counter!" I was teaching my two newest Pokémon my classic move, which I had now named The Exchange. It was where two beams of energy would meet, and the strongest would push through and hit the enemy. Flaffy's attacks seemed to be the weakest, however, and it kept getting knocked back. I walked over to it.

"Hey, don't worry, buddy. Keep trying, you'll get it eventually." Flaffy smiled and stood up. It jumped up and down. "That's right. Don't give up."

Juno walked over from the rock she was sitting on, typing up a report. "Will, if we're training, you might as well train too."

I laughed. "I won't be the one fighting a 500-pound Miltank in a few hours!"

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean when-and I know we will-we meet those creeps again, you need to know how to fight better. We need to harness those powers of yours."

I rolled my shoulder. "Okay, but how." Skye shifted back and forth from foot to foot. "Good question. How to start…" She perked up. "I've got it!" She grabbed my arm and led me over to a large boulder. "Break it."

I laughed and jerked my thumb back towards the city. "Can I run back and get a few dozen pounds of C4?"

Her angry expression returned. "No, idiot, charge your fist with the energy-thing and punch it!"

I sucked in a breath. "Well, I guess. Here goes nothing…let's…bring it on, rock…I've got your number, and I'm…"

"Stop stalling!"

"Okay, okay!" I charged my fist, and prepared to punch. I punched. I waited a solid ten seconds. Cracks appeared on the rock. "Oh, I did it! I did it, I broke the-"

Juno pointed down. I looked. Standing there was as small, pink polka-dotted bulldog looking thing. "Nice try, you little cheater. That Snubble did it for you."

"Shnub," said the beast. It bowed to me.

"Huh," said Juno. "As little as there is to admire, this Snubble admires your strength. It wants to join you."

I bent over and pet it on the head. The emotions coming from it were…honored. Wow, that's a morale boost! I took out a Pokéball. "Wanna come with me, little guy?"

"Grawrf." I took it into my Pokéball. "Sweet, third Johto Pokémon!" I got up, and slowly began to walk away. "Well, new teammate, better go challenge the Gym Leader…"

Juno stomped her foot. I turned around and her hand were on her hips. "Uh-uh, don't think you can walk away from my, William Grey! Get your sorry rear-end back here and FINISH BREAKING THIS ROCK!"

I turned to Burgundy and Wes. They were both chuckling. "Oh, shut up you too."

Dex mad a sound that sounded like a Meowth, followed by a whip.

"Really!? NOW you say something?"

**Once again, rare(possibly growing less rare, however) author note. I'm not going the be "That Author" and start calling names, just in case the person doesn't want me to(you're welcome). Anyway, I feel obligated to answer my readers' questions. So, just in case anyone else had these questions, I'll write them out:**

**Q: At this point in time, shouldn't Caitlin be about 12/13 years old?**

**A: I am not going exactly on the Pokemon Timeline. I go on the TrainerNaps Says So Timeline, which is basically just my story universe. Obviously(maybe, maybe not so) Team Plasma didn't have an elite spec ops group that constantly tangled with a mutan-genetic kid who has the blood of an ancient hero and his friends. Or did they...**

**Q: Is Gold related to Ethan?**

**A: Maybe, maybe not. Once again, I don't want to be "That Author" and just say, "not gonna tall ya! Read my story!" But just saying, if I really tell you anything about Gold, other than in Shear's flashbacks, it would spoil the whole story arc.**

**So, there you have it folks. Just like this anonymous reader, don't be afraid to ask questions. I love interacting with you guys, reviews help the story, and knowing that there are people out there who like what I put out motivates me to make better, more plentiful chapters. Because, lets face it, authors write to entertain!**

**-TrainerNaps**


	16. Chapter 15: Scoop of the Century

"Snubble, Focus Punch!" Miltank was coming around for another Rollout pass. Snubble was amazingly strong. It had taken out her Clefairy with just one Focus Punch. Miltank was nearing Snubble again. Its stubby arm glowed, and punched Miltank as soon as it was in range. Miltank flew back and hit the ground. It was out.

"Miltank is unable to battle! The victory goes to Snubble, and the battle to William."

I sent Snubble back to its ball, and then walked over to Whitney. "Hey, thanks for such a great battle! It gave me a great chance to-"

She sniffled. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, no, Whitney, no, don't do that-"

She began to bawl. I tried to calm her, but her cries drowned out my words. Two Gym Trainer rushed over to her, and helped her up. One looked over to me. I was expecting a slap to the face or a stomp on the foot, but she simply shot me a weak smile.

"Sorry about this, William, but Whitney is a bit of a…well, she's a crybaby. Whenever something doesn't go her way…" She pointed to Whitney. I nodded.

"I understand."

"Well, we're gonna take Whitney down to therapy. Here you go." She reached into her pocket and flicked me a small object. I caught it. It was the Plain Badge. "We keep the badges for Whitney. She seems to be…well…" We looked at her. She was sucking her thumb at the moment.

…

We all exited the Gym. Well, all except for Kelci. She hadn't even arrived. "Hey guys, where do you think Kelci w-"A bit up the street, we saw Kelci. She was looking at us, frozen in place. She began to cry and ran away. I chased after her. "Wait, Kelci, stop!"

Juno was keeping pace with me. "What's wrong with her?"

I panted, trying to run, talk, and focus on obstacles at the same time. "I…I don't know."

After about another minute, Kelci got careless. She tripped over a trash can and landed in a pile of garbage. Juno ran ahead of her. I stopped behind. Juno pulled her up.

"Hey, what was that all about? Making us run all across this city like some fool's errand!"

Kelci was still weeping. "I couldn't face you! I just…I just couldn't!"

I was confused. "Why not?"

She sniffled. "I lied to you, Will! I lied. I'm not a radio broadcaster! That's my sister, Cici. I'm…I'm just the coffee girl!"

Juno loosened her grip. "Kelci, sweetie, that's no reason to be afraid to face us. Will came clean with his secrets, and no offense, but yours don't hold a candle to his."

I walked ahead and nudged Juno aside. "Don't help," I whispered. "Listen, Kelci, why were you so afraid of telling us?"

She wiped her tears away and sat on a park bench. I sat next to her. "My sister is just this huge radio personality. My other sister and I always tried to live up to her standards, to impress everyone, but we couldn't. My other sister wasn't into the stuff we were, but she still took too much. Everyone always laughed at her and made fun of her. And then she ran away from home…"

Juno pat her on the shoulder. "Kid, that's tough. I'm sorry."

She sniffled again. "My parents were never really the same. This drove me to perform better. My grades in school skyrocketed. I joined every sports team and club there was. But nothing impressed my parents. They were grieving for the loss of my sister, and they put all of what little of their faith that remained into my other sister, Cici."

I patted her on the back. "Do you still feel that way, because you don't have to. You'll always have a place with us. No matter what."

She looked me in the eyes, her amber corneas dancing like fire. Then she began to weep into my arms. "Thank you! Ever since Samantha left, I've just never felt accepted."

Juno stroked her hair. "Honey, don't go any further if you don't want to, but is this why you've been trying so hard to get in with the radio crowd?"

"Mm-hm. I've been trying to get a good job at the station to impress my parents. I don't want to outshine my sister, b-but…I just want my parents to love me!" She wept into Juno now. I stood up.

"Well I won't stand for this! Juno, come on! We are marching down to that radio tower and _demanding _they give Kelci a job!"

Juno put a finger to her lips and shushed me. She continued to stroke Kelci. "Sweetie, do you want us to go talk to these people? Would that make you feel better? Hm?" To my surprise, Juno was really motherly and supportive. I wouldn't ask why; I'm sure there is some emotional backstory involved.

Kelci mumbled, her voice muffled by her face being in Juno's arms. "No, don't do that."

Juno eased her off. "Well, we're going to. You can come or not."

…

I wanted to go back to the Pokémon Canter to get my detective stuff, but Juno didn't seem too keen on the idea. I also wanted to kick the door in, but it was an automatic door…so…this dog didn't get a bone.

Juno and I marched up to the front desk, with Kelci slinking behind us.

Juno slammed her hands on the desk. "I demand to see Cici Nightingale! Ranger business." The secretary had her back turned, and was reaching under, the counter for something. "Hey, lady, I said-!" The secretary looked up, and popped her ear-buds out.

"Oh, sorry, couldn't hear ya!" The secretary winked, and then blew a bubble with her gum. "Sup?"

"Sup? What's 'sup' is that I demand to see Cici Nightingale this instant!"

"Oh, she should be down soon. She has a hair appointment in, like, ten minutes." Just as she finished, and elevator opened up. Out stepped a girl, probably three inches taller than me. She looked like an older Kelci, wearing the same pop-music artist mismatch style. Her black hair had a bit more sheen to it than Kelci, and it had a white stripe on one side and a purple stripe on the other.

She noticed Kelci on a chair. Kelci leaned forward and looked away. "Hey, little sis, what's up? You read those rocks for me like a good girl?" The two girls beside Cici giggled.

"Yeah, Kelci," said one. "Did you bring that cute little notebook? I had one just like it in second grade!" They all laughed. I swear I saw a tear drop from Kelci's face.

Juno entered Berserker Mode. Her shoulders rose, and she sauntered over. She pointed her finger right into Cici's face. "Listen, chick! You've made my friend cry, and I don't appreciate that! She's your sister, and from what I heard, your only one now!"

The other two girls seemed a bit intimidated, but Cici proved herself the leader of this little gang. She smiled, and slowly pushed Juno's finger away. "Listen, Samantha was a little freak-o, who couldn't take the heat. So she took all of those little toys she liked to play with, and she left. She couldn't take the heat, so she got out of the kitchen. As for Nerd Jr.," she gestured to Kelci, and put on a pretty impressive mock worry expression. "I'm only trying to protect my baby sister. Sam couldn't handle what I can handle, so why would frail little Kelci be able to?"

I stepped up. "You should still give her a chance."

Cici laughed out loud. "A 'chance?' What 'chance' could I give her? I am Cici Nightingale, the Aires of the Airwaves! I take all of the big stories! What 'chance' could she have?"

I snapped my fingers. I had an idea. "How about this: if Kelci can find a big enough story to cover, and _she _gets all of the credit for it, you have to give her a job."

She snorted again. "Give her a job? Heck, if Nerd Jr. can get a big enough story, she can have _my _job. But, as you can see kid, I'm a business woman. I make deals. And right now, this ain't soundin' too sweet. What do I get when she interviews some two-bit Ranger and calls it a scoop?"

Juno and I looked at each other. She clearly had no idea…but I did. "If you win…I'll give you all eight of my Johto badges, and you can enter the Johto League."


	17. Chapter 16: Connection

I marched down the street, Kelci popping up in front of me every once in a while to try and stop me as she protested.

"Will, you can't do this for me! You've been working so hard, and I know you'll work even harder! But I'm not going to let you get all eight badges for nothing!"

I turned around. "Listen, Kelci, not that I don't respect your wishes, but I respect _you _more than what you do and don't want me to do! You deserve that job, and I'll make sure you get the scoop of the century and get to shove it in your sister's face!"

"Will, that isn't the goal! I love my sister, I just want to be accepted."

"Kelci, I just met your sister. She's the type of person that you have to show that you are to _be_ respected to _get _respect."

Her shoulders slumped. "I know, but…but if I lose, I'm not letting you give up your badges. I'll become Cici's maid for ten years if it means you don't have to give her your badges."

"I will personally see to it that Juno knocks you out cold while I give your sister those badges if you protest. Right Juno?"

"Ugh, I don't take orders from you!"

I leaned in close to Kelci. "That means yes," I whispered. She giggled.

…

We left down immediately, and walked all day into the forest. It was only Wednesday, so we couldn't participate in the Bug-Type catching challenge that would take place most days. I wanted to stay, but Juno insisted that we keep moving. I'd come back for that someday. Plus, the Poke Athlon. That seemed like my cup of tea.

As the set over the forest, Juno insisted we set up camp. Burgundy "had a headache" so she sat down and played with Togepi, who was now warming up to the fact that Burgundy was its Trainer. It still made sounds that sounded like "Mama" when it was around Wes.

Juno did most of the work. While Wes and I "went to collect wood,"(we were actually playing DS for about a half hour" Kelci dug a pit for a fire and Juno set up everything else. I'm sure we'd hear more about that later.

…

I was sitting in my sleeping bag, flipping through virtual pages in Dex's databank. I had left _Legendary Encounters _at home, wanting to not risk damaging or losing it. Dex, however, had made an exact copy of every page and stored it inside himself. I was reading up on the Legendary Pokémon reported to live in Johto. I was immersed in "The Legend of Mahogany Town," which was coincidentally where we were going next. It told of a great fire that trapped and killed three helpless Pokémon. Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon, took mercy and revived them using the three elements that killed them; the lightning that struck the tower to form Raiku, the fire that burned to form Entei, and the rain that doused the flames to form Suicune. The three Legendary Dogs of the West.

I heard a noise and looked up. Juno was typing into her Styler intently. I loudly swore and threw it on the ground.

"What's wrong?" I stood up and walked over to her. She looked up at me.

"Oh, you're still up? Whatever. I was just looking at this month's leaderboards. I came in third. Again."

I sat down next to her. "If you don't mind, can you tell me who came before you?"

"Lunic and Skye. Respectively." She sighed. "They probably deserved it, though."

I was surprised. "Wow, that was…awful logical and thought out for you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she said sarcastically. "I have _no idea _what's wrong with me! Ever since I came to Johto." She put her chin in between her knees. "It's just…"

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Just what?"

"All of my life, I've tried to perform as best I can. At first I just thought it was to be the best. Then I thought it was to compete. But after the whole Cici fiasco…I think I might have been driven by wanting to make _my_ parents notice."

"Yeah, that kinda woke me up too. I mean, my sister has always out-shined me, but I guess that secretly, that's been my main drive."

Juno nodded. "And then there's always that big reveal when you think you have the worst luck on Earth, but then you find out someone had it worse than you. That happened today, and it happened before."

I was confused. "When?"

"When I met Skye. We went to the Ranger Academy together. Then, towards the end, we were partnered up for our Rookie careers. I couldn't stand her at first. I was always wallowing in hate and anger and self-pity, and she was always so cheerful. Anger was my only outlet to get rid of bad memories. I thought I was alone in the universe…that I couldn't talk to anyone. Well, one day, Skye up and asked why I was so mopey. I exploded, and I told her how my parents never had time for me. But then…" I looked at the ground. And then and there I thought that the trees would come alive and cook me breakfast, or that the clouds would rain candy, and everything else that was physically impossible would happen. Because Juno was crying.

"And then she told me that her parents died. That she watched them die. And I felt so terrible."

I felt a bit teary too. "I felt pretty bad when I found that out, too. And today when I heard the reason that Kelci's parents ignored her. And then, I guess I feel just like you do; something has changed. It's like coming to Johto unlocked an abrasive side I never knew I had. I would have never stood up to those jerks like that! I was a dork in school! I always got pushed around. I never faced my problems, I always avoided them."

Juno looked up. "Maybe we both need to make a few changes." I smiled.

"Maybe."

"It's just, though…ugh, I still hate that feeling that you're working as hard as you possibly can, to you limit, yet people still can do better than you without all of their effort. It's like some people are born…well, better than others. But I don't believe that. I don't believe in fate."

"Me either." Juno rolled her shoulders. She really does work hard. I moved behind her. "You seem tense." I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, what are you-get your hands-! Oh…oh yes. That feels amazing." She relaxed, and I smiled.

"See, it doesn't kill you to relax. Maybe that's the problem; you work too hard! You need to kick back every once in a while. Recharge."

"Mmmmm, yeah. A little lower." As I gave Juno a shoulder massage, I reflected. Juno was right; something had changed in the both of us since Johto. Maybe it was psychologically maturing. Moving on. Moving _up_. I mean, Juno was genuinely sweet and sincere when Kelci was upset. And I faced my demons head-on. I never did that before! Like I told Skye that one time, I'm a lover, not a fighter.

As continued, my head felt like someone had just poured a bucket of pure, clean water down on it. Not like a brain-freeze; like clarity had just taken over. So I tried it; I tried to read her mind again. And just as I did, I immediately shut down. I fell to the ground, fast asleep.

And so did she.


	18. Chapter 17: Impossible

I yawned and stretched. That was the clearest night's sleep I had ever gotten. And I was sleeping on the ground. When did I fall asleep? I remembered talking to Juno, then giving her a shoulder massage, and then…that feeling…like something had become so much clearer in my mind. Then…I have no idea.

I shadow loomed over me. It was Wes. "Oh," I said meekly. "Sup, buddy?"

"Morning. You lovebirds sleep well?" Lovebirds? I-oh! I looked up. Juno had fallen asleep on top of me, sprawled across my legs.

"Wes, I have no idea what-"

"Save it. Just…just save it. I don't care anymore." He walked away. My legs jerked up trying to get up. Expecting an angry shout-

"Hey, easy, dude. Mahogany Town isn't going anywhere. Relax." I looked at the now awakened Juno.

"Juno, do you remember how exactly we feel asleep?"

"Can't say I do. I probably nodded off from that fantastic massage you gave me. I could really sure one of those more often."

Burgundy looked over at us and smiled. "Will and Juno, sittin' in a-"

"Tree!" shouted Kelci.

"Thanks for the assist, Kelci!" said Burgundy as she continued. "K-I-S-S-I-"

"No, look, tree!" We all looked behind us to where Kelci was pointing.

A tree had gotten up: literally! It was waddling towards us.

"Is that a Pokémon?" asked Burgundy.

"What else would it be!?" I pulled out Dex and flipped him open.

_Sudowoodo_

_The…CRITICAL ERROR  
SHUTTING DOWN. MANUAL REBOOT REQUIRED_

My Pokédex clamped shut. I tapped it a few times. "Come on, wake up! What are you doing?" I shoved it back in my pocket. I would deal with it later.

"Shellshocker, let's-" Wes shoved me out of the way. He sent out his Lapras, which pounded the Sudowoodo with a Hydro Pump. He secured it inside a ball. I placed the ball on his belt, and calmly walked over to continue packing up our gear. I ran over to him.

"Wes, what's up?" You're acting kind of weird." He didn't even look at me.

"What do you care?"

The struck a cord. "What do I care? WHAT DO I CARE!?" Unknown to me, everyone turned to look.

"We're all in this together, Wes, so like it or not, were all stuck with each other until this is all over. So yeah, I do care." And with that, I stormed off.

…

About an hour later, we were just finishing up cleaning the camp. Kelci and Burgundy were talking.

"You know, Will's been a little…off lately," said Burgundy as she packed her bag. Kelci looked up, confused.

"I don't know him as well as you do. Explain."

"Will is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. It takes a lot to get him mad, and when you do cross that line, he usually just gets depressed. He just blew up at Wes earlier. It's a whole new side of him I've never seen since…"

"Since you came to Johto," finished Kelci.

Burgundy nodded. "He did say he has, like, ancient blood or some stuff. Maybe Johto is connected to his past or something."

Kelci nodded. "And, another thing…"

"Oh?"

"Juno. _She's changed too._"

"What do you mean?"

Kelci rubbed her arm. "I've actually known her for a while. She's usually sent to deal with Johto affairs. She's always so cold and distant, like she knows she needs someone to reach out to her, but she doesn't want them to."

"And how has she changed?"

Kelci chuckled. "Just look at her."

Juno was admiring a flower, humming a song to herself. A Butterfree that had been napping on the flower fluttered up and tickled her nose. Juno simply giggled.

Kelci and Burgundy locked eyes. "Something is wrong," they said in unison.

…

Later that day, I had cooled down a bit. Partly because I knew we were approaching Ecruteak City, and I would be able to rest soon. It was dusk by the time we arrived at the gate.

"Hey Will," said Juno. "Did you figure out what went wrong with your Pokédex?"

I sighed. "No. It took me to a while to figure out what a 'manual reboot' was-"

"Since you didn't read the instruction booklet…" interrupted Burgundy.

"Quiet, you. And once I did figure it out, Dex just kept complaining about 'interference' and 'signal jamming.'"

Kelci looked up. "I know what a signal jam is."

"Really?"

"Uh, duh! I work in a radio tower, remember. Plus, my granddad was a radio operator in the Justicar War, and my cousin is an operator for the Rangers."

"Neat, so uh…whatisitandhowdoIfixit…"

Juno giggled. I shot her a look. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just, shouldn't the man be the one who's so tech-savvy?"

"Oh, shut up!"

I could have sworn I heard Wes grumble something about flirting, but I ignored it. Kelci cleared her throat. "A signal jam is a radio wave or other source of energy that blocks another source of a signal. Think like a river. If a current is flowing downstream, if it gets interrupted by another current flowing across, it can't flow. Signal jams can be accidental and used on purpose, like in times of war. If I'm correct, bandits and other outlaws use signal jammers to prevent Rangers from communicating back and forth between each other and to Command?"

Juno nodded. "Right."

"Well, I can't think of a reason why a bad guy would want me to not be able to identify Pokémon and play games, so I guess it's just a glitch or something. Plus, it happened suddenly when we entered the area, so it's probably just interference. I'll call Oak in the morning."

"Shame. I was just about to ask if you could pencil me in for around 9."

We all flipped around. It was Specter.

**Hey all, sorry for the little vacation I took. Being a Pokemon Trainer, and a Council Specter, and the Dragonborn, and a Spartan IV(you win the Awesome Award if you can name each one of those references in order) makes you kind of busy. SO in between all of my covert ops, missions and such, I thought deeply into the future of Plasma Saga, and yes, it will go on. For a LONG TIME! Almost as long as a Thresher Maw(a into reference #1 after Pokemon Trainer). The chapters may become a little less frequent, but they WILL BE THERE, I SWEAR ON THE EIGHT DIVINES(Hint to references #2). So, yeah, sorry, but I'm back, and this story will go forward. By Earth. Of Earth. For Earth. Forward Unto Dawn(Hint to reference #3)!**

**-TrainerNaps**


	19. Chapter 18: The Crypt

"Specter!" I said aloud. "I'm…uh…not sure what emotion I should be feeling right now."

Specter smiled. I rubbed the back of my head. "Mind, uh…telling me how I should react."

"Don't worry, I've kept my promise," said Specter. "I come in peace." His eyes drifted over to Juno.

"Uh, sorry Specter, Skye isn't here." This is-"

"Juno, I know. I know Skye isn't here. I've been keeping tabs on her. And you. All of you."

"Gee…uh…thanks?"

Specter grunted. He turned and began to drift towards the city. "You're welcome."

"I didn't actually mean-"

"Well, let's say you did. There are a number of people watching you right now, and as far as I know, I'm the only one who means good."

I was a bit puzzled. Apparently, so was everyone else. Burgundy spoke up. "W-who else is watching us?"

"Well, since William told the full story, you should know that Team Plasma is most certainly watching over you. As are…a few others."

"Like who?"

"There's a time and place for everything." We continued walking through the streets of Ecruteak City. It was dark now, and the streetlights had come on.

Juno leaned over and whispered to me. "Is this the guy who used to be part of Plasma Advanced and has the hots for Skye?"

I nodded. "Yes and no. Every time he saves Skye, he says she's, like, important to me and fulfilling my quest. Whatever that means." Juno straightened up.

"So, she's intertwined in your destiny." I scoffed.

"Please. I don't believe in fate or destiny. I do these things because…" We all stopped. Even Specter.

"Because why?" he asked.

"Because…this is what I choose to do. I could stop anytime I want."

"But you won't. Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"Exactly!" We continued moving for about thirty more seconds, until we reached a run-down tower. "You see this as the right thing, but others don't. Destiny might act in that way; it influences your morals. Shear sees different things as 'right' than you do, so that could be how her destiny affects her."

I was starting to get angry. "See, this is exactly what I hate about destiny. _I_ decide who I am. No one else. Not you. Not Shear. Not ANYONE!"

"So be it." We moved into the building. Bookshelves lined every wall, filled with books of course.

"Wow," said Burgundy, staring at the room, astounded. "What is this place?"

"Nothing in particular." Specter moved over to a bookshelf, selected a book, and pulled it out. The shelf moved, revealing a hidden staircase. "_This _however…" We followed him down the stairs. As we progressed through the narrow, damp hallway, I began to feel…cold. As if some Ice-Type Pokémon were tickling my spine. I shivered. Kelci took notice.

"Uh, Specter? Is this place…haunted?"

Specter laughed. "Depends what you mean by haunted. To haunt means to linger one's presence. So, technically, you could say this town is haunted by humans, or buildings."

She didn't seem too amused. "I mean by ghosts."

"Ghosts? Maybe. Maybe not. Though this may just be a _ghostly _town, making it easier for me to linger, or haunt, here.

Then I heard the voice. It was like a bell, light and echoing, as if it were near and distant.

_A ghostly town for ghostly people, _it said.

We finally reached a door at the end of the hallway. The large, stone door had a picture of something I had never seen before. It was partially faded, but I could make out what looked like a horse with a ring around it. "Open," said Specter, and the door said so.

"You can open things in here with commands?" asked Kelci.

"It took some time, but I convinced this door to open for me."

"Convinced? Is it haunted?"

'By what? Stone? Pictures?"

Kelci stamped her foot. "I meant ghosts!"

"No. You really should clarify with other people, though. They might not know what you refer to-"

"Yes they will! It's always used in context of ghosts!"

"If you say so." He drifted inside, and we followed(albeit Kelci grumbling). Once again, the room was lined with books and scrolls.

"That up there was _a _library," said Specter, raising his arms as we gazed at everything. "This is _my _library. Though it won't be anymore."

I stopped looking. "Why not?"

"As I said, you are being monitored. I cannot let the information in here leak into Team Plasma, as they now know where it is."

Burgundy scratched her head. "What exactly _is _in here."

Specter smiled. "In these books and scrolls, contains the last knowledge of Them, The Ones Who Came Before. All of their ancient secrets and designs, and the locations of those that remain."

Okay, pal, you're losing us. The who?" said Juno.

"The Ones Who Came Before. Our predecessors; the civilization before ours. They were far more advanced than us in many ways, but they simply vanished. In this library contains a collection of their knowledge. Not all of it, mind you, though it is, to my knowledge, the largest gathering of it in one place."

Juno shifted back and forth, uncomfortably. "So, what do you mean by 'designs'?"

"Their inventions. Things they created. Marvelous things. Some of them. Others…war machines and WMDs."

"WMDs?" questioned Burgundy.

"Weapons of Mass Destruction," said Specter and Juno at the same time. Specter continued his part. "Among other horrible, evil devices. Speaking of which, I brought you here for a reason."

He shifted over towards a shelf, and begin to sift through books. "Let's see here…The Anchor, no…The Crucible, also no…Chroma Drill...ah, here we are!" He produced a scroll and read it to himself. "The creature you met in the Ibex Forest. It must be destroyed, and in a timely manner.

"Why?"

"He is one of three spirits recently released from their slumber. You were inadvertently told of them by your ancestor."

"How did you-"

He tapped his head. He passed me the scroll. "You may be confused as to what I mean, but the scroll will reveal all you need to know. Now go!"

As we hurried out, I heard the voice again. This time it was more pronounced; more feminine. It giggled.

_I know what he was talking about, it said, _and then giggled once again.

**New poll on my profile! I would appreciate it if you gave me a little feedback. Thanks!**


	20. Update

**Super Update OF POWER!**

Hey everyone, it's me again(for the first time in a while). Yeah, so, I feel like I have a lot to cover, so I'm doing one of these update things. I don't know how it works, so I'm just gonna do the logical thing with something you don't know what it does and mess around with it!

First, sorry about the two month hiatus. I don't really have an excuse for that, but I'm sorry for depriving you of your by-daily dose of Plasma. A video game series or two may have gotten in the way of writing, but no more!(until of course Halo 5 and Mass Effect 4)Jk I've learned my lesson and will always keep Plasma Saga in mind from now on.

That being said, I have indeed been thinking about this series and it's future, and it has one. A big one. Finishing the series, and a couple of spin-offs namely. And I can't wait to get there, I have some epic things planned.

Which brings me to another thing. In the earlier chapters of Season 2, I had someone say that Team Grey has a lack of guys as a joke. A couple of people responded, and I realized that THEY WERE RIGHT! So I need your feedback. Give me ideas for future male, or otherwise(female, Pokemon, machine, etc.) if you would please. I have a couple ideas, but it never hurts to have more.

Once again speaking of the thing I just said, I do in fact listen to all of your reviews and try to use them the best I can. I love when I get reviews and suggestions, and also when people say something is wrong. But there is a difference between constructive criticism and just plain trolling. If you think something is wrong or can be fixed, give me a suggestion(not saying I don't like positive stuff too :) Your feedback makes me want to write more!

Speaking of feedback(maybe I am good at updates after all) on my profile, a current poll of what side-project people thing I should work on currently favors a Mass Effect story crossover. I need some suggestions on how I should present some things, like what The Reapers should be, as well as some characters like Tali'Zorah and Liara(how they should be represented in the Pokemon world). So give me some feedback on that, if you'd please.

Finally, I think a little "Thank-You" refresher is in order. I can't stress enough how thankful I am to A Random Human for letting me borrow their characters such as Skye and Daniel(as well as giving me a little free advertising for the series on their profile. Thanks a ton.) And I'd also like to thank everyone who supports this story. So if you're reading this at all, thank you, and stick around for the whole ride. It's gonna be a wild one.

And I'm not cheating you out of today's chapter. Chapter 19: Forerunner will be released later today.

Your friendly neighborhood

TrainerNaps


	21. Chapter 19: Forerunner

The night at the Pokémon Center, we all gathered around in a circle of couches and cushions to read the scroll the Specter had given us. My heart pounded in my chest as I gripped the end and slowly unreeled it. I read the words.

"Well," said Burgundy, the hand holding her cup of coffee shaking, undoubtedly from the anticipation rather than the caffeine(though I could be wrong.) "What does it say?"

I swallowed, for my throat was dry, and began. "In legend, there exist the Apex Orbs, three pseudo-god-like objects that have the capacity to…" I coughed.

"To what," said Juno. "Come on! We don't have all night!"

I continued. "-The capacity to hold a soul."

A silence lingered in the air for a moment. Wes spoke up. "What else does it say."

"A soul can be contained in one of two ways. The soul can be forced into the orb by another, though the entirety of the soul will not be contained. If the other half of the soul remains in the body, the holder of the orb is granted full control over the soul and its body. If no body remains…the soul drifts and eventually fades."

"Wow…" said Kelci. "That's pretty deep." I looked back at the scroll. There was an illustration on the page, with three orbs in a circle. The colors were a bit faded, but I could tell that they were red, green, and blue. Aside from the English text, there was some words in a language I had never seen before. I read the final paragraph.

"The soul can also be manually transported into the orb by a willing subject. The soul will completely leave the body, and enter a state where the mind becomes it's reality, and the soul may even remain trapped there, forever, in a reality simulated by their own mind."

"So if someone put's there soul in there, it could basically be like building your own cage and sitting in it forever," said Juno.

Burgundy perked up. "Wow, Juno, that was surprisingly philosophical for you." Juno beamed.

"Thanks, I try!"

Wes cleared his throat. He stood up and moved over to sit next to me and observe the scroll. "You had the gist of it, Juno. In the fullness of it, it would be like sitting in a cage of your own design _with _the key."

"True. What else does it say?"

Wes and I scanned the page. "That's it. It just goes on to talk about something in another language."

Wes groaned and sat back. "Well, why would Specter give this to us, tell us we need to take down the red guy, and say this was important?"

"Maybe he's one of the escaped spirits," I said, and an idea popped into my head. "Wait, maybe these three spirits were imprisoned in the orbs way back when, and now they're free. Maybe, back in their time, these were the only things that could hold them."

"That would mean," said Burgundy, standing up and stretching. "That would mean that there are two more equally powerful, if not more than, evil spirits, wanting to destroy the Earth. And, after seeing what happened with the last one, you guys are gonna need to start lifting."

She started laughing, and we all threw a cushion at her.

…

I woke with a start. Or at least, I thought I was awake. I looked around. I was standing on a cracked, stone pathway, leading up a long set of stone stairs. At the top was a strange alter-ish thing, with familiar looking writing on it. I reminded me of the writing I saw on the scroll. But this wasn't the Dreamscape. Albeit there was mist swirling around the area, but this was white mist…

"Heya there," said I familiar voice. I swirled around. A girl approached me. She was about my height, with brown hair like mine and blue eyes like mine. She wore a mischievous grin on her face, one I had seen before; on me, in the mirror. Her face was a bit longer and more elegant, though. She wore tarnished metal and leather armor. One of the shoulder straps was torn, and, the armor was covered in cuts and burns. She had a scabbard on around her waist, like Greyson's. Except this one had a sword in it. I couldn't study it much before she twirled around.

"Well if it isn't my savior," she said, continuing down the path. "How's it going? Was the scroll a nice read? I personally enjoyed it. Two thumbs up from me."

"You read it?"

She giggled. "With you, yes."

I jogged to catch up with her. "Where are we?"

She "tch tch"d and turned around. "My feelings are hurt. You usually ask a person who they are first."

"Okay…who are you? And how do you know that?"

She laughed, and twirled around again. "Fine, I'll answer your first question, as well as you third one at the same time. We are in your mind."

"Well…I guess that's pretty obvious but…how long have you been here."

She laughed and continued up the stairs. "It's just questions questions questions with you, isn't it? Oops," she giggled. "That was a question! I've been hair ever since you and Juno freed me."

I was asking questions, but I was getting little to no answers. My head(which I was apparently in) hurt. "How did we free you."

"Think of it this way; you're the key and Juno was the lockbox with all the goodies in it. Your coming together would have slowly freed my spirit, but when you tried to read her mind-" she began clapping. "Bravo! That was the icing on the cake! Insta-freedom!"

I pondered what she had said for a moment. "Wait…freed your spirit…you're one of them!"

I took a guard stance, but she laughed and slowly descended the few stairs she was ahead of me by. She pat me on the head. "Only one of us is bad, and you've met him…or what's left."

She turned and continued up the stairs. I followed. "But wait…" So many questions! "How did you…why were you…when did you…"

She reached the top and turned on her heels. "More questions! Don't you want my name at all?"

I chuckled as I felt my cheeks turn red. I nervously scratched the back of my head. "Aha…erm…yeah…"

"Fine then." She walked to the pedestal in the middle of the altar platform and jumped up. "I am the Heir to the Legacy, The Blue Blade, among other unimportant names…Aria Grey, granddaughter of Greyson!"


	22. Chapter 20: Legacies

I had had just about enough ancient ancestors in my brain for one lifetime. First, it was some ancient warrior guy telling me I had this big mantle of honor and responsibility to uphold, and now it's some chick who wants me to do who-knows-what!

"Alright, uh…Aria?" I stuttered as I stared at her atop her pedestal. She had taken a knee and was resting her arm on that knee, looking down on me as if I were a lesser being.

"Yup, that's my name, you finally got it! Want a medal?"

"Okay, listen, I don't know you, so please don't be offended when I say 'get out.'"

Her expression dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Get out. Leave. Go. Scram."

She scoffed and hopped off the pedestal. "That's no way to treat an ancestor, William. You should be ashamed."

"Tch, I'm not though! It's my head, and I have just enough things in it that shouldn't be there!"

"Fair enough, but, if you'd please…" At the sound of my trigger phrase, all of my muscles locked up. Even in my own subconscious, I was not strong enough to resist.

"Remember that phrase? It's the one those Team Plasma dogs tattooed on your poor little mind. But don't worry…" She slowly walked past me, patting me on the shoulder as she walked by.

"Aria can free you. Just as you freed me. I can teach you, teach you all of the knowledge known to our line, lost over the centuries. Listen to me, and you can be invincible. A god amongst men. You can beat Team Plasma in your sleep." She stopped, and laughed. I still couldn't turn, but I could hear her pace.

"You know, I can't force you to agree with me. Not even this nifty little code can force you to do that. I could make you say yes, I could even make you nod your head, but it doesn't work on the mind. So, you'll have to agree yourself." She walked in front of me, and looked me dead in the eyes. Chaos flowed in her deep, blue eyes. Madness, even. A lack of control. Yet, brilliance.

"I'm going to let you go. Pledge yourself to me, become the instrument of my will, and you will get everything you've ever wanted…and more." I gasped as control suddenly came back to me.

She tapped her foot. "Well…" She spread her arms. "I'm waiting!"

I walked over to her, and looked her in the eyes for a moment. Then I grabbed her throat. She choked. Her hands grasped at mine, but could not break my grip. She squirmed and kicked, but to no avail.

"Gwah…how…let me…down…"

"How?" I lifted her, still clasping her neck. I pulled her a bit closer, and whispered into her ear, "Because this is my mind. And I may not be able to get you out, but I can push you down all I want." I tossed her effortlessly to the bottom of the stairs. She sat up and gasped for breath.

"Fine," she paused to gasp n more air. "Have it your way…but just remember…there may come a time where you need my power…and I may remember this…"

I began to descend the stairs. "I hope you do. So you can remember what you said yourself: you're stuck in here. And if I go, so do you." She stood up, and though she tried to hide it, I saw her gulp.

"Fine. I'll teach you some things. But I won't teach you everything. Not until you come around." She smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Because my offer still stands. And it will. I might as well teach you something tonight. This is the most simple technique known to the Greys that…ugh, I'm ashamed you haven't mastered yet. It's called Omnipresence. Now, let's begin…"

…

I yawned and stretched as I woke up. For real, this time. If anything, that night of sleep left me feeling mentally exhausted. I guess working out in my subconscious makes me tired for real. I checked my clock.

"Noon!" I jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly

I ran out into the lobby. There sat my friends, and another head on the sofa which had its back facing me. I couldn't tell who it was. But before I could find out, I was intercepted by Burgundy.

"_Paresseux! _Lazy! You've been asleep for hours! DO you have any idea how long you've kept us waiting!? We were going to go out today, but nope! You had to sleep in and ruin our plans! I had a lunch reservation at 1:30, and we'll have to rush if we want to…"

"Relax, Burgundy, I don't mind. Nothing is ruined." The extra stood up. It was Skye.

"Skye!" I said, and rushed over to her. We buddy-hugged. "It's been a while! How are you?"

She smiled. "Good, good! Glad to see you're well, too! Someone who sleeps _that _much must have a lot of energy!"

I let out some nervous laughter. _We'll talk about it later, _I said telepathically. I heard Aria giggle in my head.

_No you won't. In fact, if you connect to Skye's brain again, I'll leave a nasty little surprise behind for her. So don't actually do it._

…

As we all should know by now, Burgundy is a…or likes to think she is a…cultured person. We ate lunch at some fancy restaurant that had chopsticks instead of regular silverware. There was a little fork there, but Burgundy wouldn't have it. Every time either Juno or I would go for the fork, she'd give us the death glare. So we make a(literally) under the table agreement that we would take turns distracting her while the other took in as much food as they could with the fork. And if that didn't make us sound more like a dysfunctional family instead of a group of friends, Juno and I got yelled as for not wiping out faces by Burgundy, and to add insult to injury, she proceeded to wet a napkin and do it herself. Plus, she made us leave the tip.

We were now on our way to some dance studio to watch the Kimono Girls or something. I mean, they are pretty famous, I have heard of them all the way in Kanto, but…

"I hate dance." I said aloud.

"Yeah, right, pretty much, same here," came a garbled response from the mouths of Wes, Kelci, and Juno.

Burgundy stopped and stamped her foot. "Why!?"

We all looked at each other. "School," we said in unison.

Skye looked at Burgundy and put one hand on her hip. "I think they know what they're getting at."

"What?"

Wes kicked at the dirt. "Well, those were the kinds of people who gave us hard times back in school. You know, the popular ones? I think it's safe to say that we were all pretty much outcasts?"

"I was the quiet kid," said Kelci.

"I was the kid who didn't like sports," I said.

"I used to read at recess," said Wes.

"No one really liked me…" said Juno.

"Stop being babies!" shouted Burgundy. "These dancers aren't going to steal your lunch money!" Just then someone bumped into her, knocking her to the ground. "Hey, watch-"

The girl was tall, and had her raven black her in an intricate style. She wore white face paint and a kimono.

She stood up and brushed herself off. "I am so sorry travelers, I…wait, I recognize you! You are the ones Aseya spoke of! The Egg Bearers!"


	23. Chapter 21: Incubation

Skye let out some nervous laughter. "Is it just me or did that sound like she was calling one of us…pregnant?"

I sighed and helped Burgundy up. "Burgundy, I think it's time we told her the truth."

Skye yelped and jumped back. I started laughing. "Nah, I'm just messing with you. We had this egg and it hatched and stuff."

Skye marched over to me and stared me in the eyes. Her fiery red pupils had never burned so brightly. "If you ever scar me like that again, William Henry Grey, I swear I will skin you alive!"

She took a deep breath and turned around, all of us now facing the Kimono Girl. She had a nervous expression, like she had no idea what was going on. And to be fair, that was the appropriate response for anyone outside our little group of friends.

Wes chuckled. "Before you even ask, yes, it is always like this."

"I…uh…I see. Well, if what you are saying is correct, than I can assume the egg hatched?"

Burgundy nodded and sent out Togepi, which immediately ran for Wes and hugged its leg. "For some reason, it thinks Wes is its mother."

The Kimono Girl giggled. She knelt down and tickled the Togepi's chin. "Well, he must have been the one who hatched it.

"Wait," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Burgundy hatched it. She carried it around all the time."

"A Togepi egg can only be hatched by an extreme show of emotion. That is why Togepi are so affectionate to their Trainers." Wes's face turned bright red. He must _really_ like Juno. "And did I hear you say that you were going to watch our show?"

"Yup," said Burgundy. "We were headed there right now, as a matter of fact."

The Kimono Girl bowed her head. "I am sorry, but the dance studio is closed." Burgundy jumped.

"What! B-but I was so excited…"

"Yes, as were we all. We all love to dance, but…there was a theft."

"What kind of theft?" asked Wes.

"As you probably know, the Togepi evolutionary chain is very rare. Decades ago, Togepi eggs were considered…delicacies in their respective homes of Johto and Almia."

Kelci and Burgundy looked at Skye with accusing glances. She put her hands up. "I swear I've never eaten a Togepi egg in my life."

"They began to dwindle. Before then, Togekiss were so open and friendly, often making their nests on the roofs of the houses of the kind, and becoming the partners of young Trainers who would grow up in the houses. But once this extinction level event occurred, they fled, and began building their nests up in the cold mountains, where eggs can hardly hatch."

"That's so terrible," said Wes. "Such a benevolent species, just preyed upon by humans. A species with so much potential, so much to offer…"

The Kimono Girl nodded, brushing a tear from her eye. "I often think about that, Wesley Oak. The prospect always makes me cry. Anyway, the remaining Togekiss eggs were gathered up, and entrusted to us, the Kimono Girls, as we are some of the last who practice and spread ancient Johto culture. We give out eggs to Trainers we deem kind, loving, and just, in hopes that they will hatch and become like their Trainers one day."

If this didn't make Wes attached to Togepi, nothing would. He picked it up and held it in his arms. "So…who stole the eggs?"

"A criminal syndicate called Team Rocket." I clenched my fists. But I found solace in the fact that Team Rocket happened to be the criminals I was pursuing. And it was Team Rocket I would catch.

"We Kimono Girls have strong Pokémon, as we are the guardians of this nest. But even we weren't strong enough for Team Rocket and their leader, Petrel."

I walked over to her, and as I did, looked Togepi in the eyes. For a baby, it certainly wasn't dumb. It knew what was going on. It was sad. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Kimono Girl, I swear to you that we will get these eggs back."

She sniffled and looked up. "If this Togepi grows up to be like you Trainers…then you will have done a great service for the species. Good luck, heroes."

She walked away. Burgundy's shoulders dropped. "Well, now what do we do? Skye has to leave tonight…"

"Wait, tonight!? You just got here!" Skye patted me on the shoulder and smiled.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I wrapped up the situation in Sinnoh, and after Juno logged the report on that…thing, the Union sent me here, to back her up."

"I'm sorry Will," said Juno, as she looked at her feet. "I have to go too."

I kicked the dirt. This really sucked. "Well…I suppose I get it. Duty calls, right? Well, if we can't watch that dance ceremony or whatever, what do you guys want to do this afternoon?"

Skye and Juno looked at each other, and then smiled. "Well," said Skye, who scratched her chin as a mischievous expression took to her face, "If I remember correctly, a certain Pokémon Trainer is fixing to get all eight badges in Johto…"

…...

"Quilava, Flame Wheel!" Quilava curled up into a ball and rolled full speed at Gengar. But, once again, that SoB teleported out of the way.

"Gengar," cried Morty, the Gym-Leader, "Use Lick!" Gengar's giant tongue lashed out, and licked Quilava right up its back.

"Ugh," said Burgundy on the stands. "The creeps me out. C'mon Quilava, you can do it!"

"Play times' over, Quilava! Ember!" Quilava drew in a deep breath, and the spewed a stream of fire at Gengar. Gengar was knocked back, and covered in flames when it got up. It dances about, trying to put of the fire on its body.

"Nice!" Quilava had learned Flamethrower. "Now, finish it! Flame Wheel!" Quilava did what it did best, and ended the fight. Flaffy had taken out both oh the Haunters, and Quilava had come in for cleanup.

"Gengar is unable to battle," called the ref, raising his right hand with a red flag in it. "The winner is Quilava and the victory goes to William of Viridian City!"

I collected my badge, and we all met outside the Gym door. I got congratulations and high-fives from everyone.

"Well, Skye," I said, tossing the badge up in the air and catching it in my palm. "I hope you enjoyed the show."

"Of course I did, Will. I wake up for this stuff!" We were all silent for a moment. "Okay, I don't really, but I enjoy watching you battle!" We all broke out laughing. Skye checked the time on her Styler. She frowned.

"Sorry all. We have to go." We all said out goodbyes.

"It was nice meeting you!" said Kelci.

"Same!" said Skye. "Make sure these guys don't do anything stupid!" Kelci giggled.

"Well then, I think I'll need to try harder!" The two talked for a moment as Juno approached me.

"Well," I said, bringing up my hand for a handshake. "See ya around."

"Yeah, see ya," she paused, like she was choking on something. "ListenIjustwantyoutoknowthat youvebeenareallygoodfriendan dIenjoyspendingtimewithyouby e!" She kissed me on the cheek and sped off after Skye. I rubbed my cheek and watched her go.


	24. Chapter 22: Some Jolly Good Fun

"Well, where are we headed next, Will?" asked Burgundy as we hiked down Route 38.

"Well, I want to head to Olivine City to face Jasmine, but…it's kind of a long walk. We might have to camp out once, maybe even twice."

Wes was looking at a navigator device. "Is there any traffic on the way, Wes?" asked Kelci.

"Kelci, I'm not a traffic guy."

"Sorry. I'm a reporter. It's a bit of a habit to ask these things." She was silent for about a solid minute. "Is it going to rain…"

"Kelci!"

"I've been a reporter all my life! If I don't know these things, I freak out!"

I tapped my Black City Blastoises hat. "I could tell you what's going on in sports if you want."

"That would be lovely, Will."

"Wait," said Burgundy, snatching my hat from me. "I thought you said you didn't like sports."

I swiped at her, but she moved the hat away from my reach. "I don't really. Don't like to play 'em, don't know how. It's more of a sentimental point for me. My Grandpa, for whom I was named, was on the team…"

Burgundy lowered her arm, and gave me my hat back. "Oh…Will, I'm…I'm sorry."

I put my hat back on and continued to look at the ground. "Nah, it's cool."

"Wait Will, you said you're from Kanto, right? Why was your Granddad on an Unovan baseball team?"

"My family comes from Unova. My dad used to live there, but he met my mom when she was studying abroad in college, and he took a job a Silph Co. just to be closer to her. Then they settled down and had my sister and me. And my Uncle Julius pretty much did the same thing, except he lives in Almia and he's an engineer for the Rangers, and my Aunt Minerva is a member of the Funding Council for the Ranger Union." Saying that made me think a little; Greyson said our family lived in a place called Ransei for a long time, until about my generation.

We all stopped at the sound of much conversation, screaming and laughing. It was coming from the woods divulging off of the path. Burgundy got that look in her eyes that I hated: she had an idea. Before I caught on to her evil plan, she snatched my hand in her grip; she dragged me towards the sounds. "Come on, Grumpy! You need some cheering up!"

"Burgundy, wait! Gah, guys…help!" Wes and Kelci just stood there, laughing and waving.

"Traitors!" I called as I was dragged along.

…

We burst through the brush(after a not so graceful trip) into a field full of people. They were mostly in pairs, and each had a Pokémon out with them. Each pair and each Pokémon wore a number on them. A woman approached us. "Are you here for the Scavenger Hunt?"

Before I could protest, Burgundy piped in. "Of course we are!"

Wes and Kelci walked up behind us. "Did I hear someone say Scavenger Hunt?"

"Yeah," I said, nudging Kelci. "Stupid, right?" I leaned over and whispered, "Get me out of here!"

"I'd actually like to do a Scavenger Hunt."

I let out some nervous laughter and nudged Wes. "Wes, my man! Back me up here."

"I'm cool with it."

I groaned and face-palmed. "What are the rules?"

"This is an event put on to increase the bond between two Trainers, as well as their Pokémon. You will split into teams of two, and each send out a Pokémon to accompany you. The first team to find every object on the list will then battle, and the winner of the two will receive the prize: a rare Pokémon."

Wes pumped his fist in the air. "Nice!"

Burgundy latched onto my arm. "I call Will!"

I tried to shake her off, but to no avail. "Why me?"

"Cuz everything good always happens to you!"

I looked her deep in the eyes.

"Okay, Cinnabar Island doesn't count."

I continued to stare.

"Victory Road doesn't count either."

Continued.

"Ilex Forest doesn't count either…let's just say nothing bad since this morning, okay? Plus, I wanna cheer you up!"

We and Kelci high fived. "We're gonna own this thing!"

Burgundy sent out Togepi. She snatched it up before it could run to Wes. "What Pokémon are you gonna use, Will?"

I thought for a moment. "Normally, I would bring Shellshocker…"

"No, please don't! I mean, he's great and all, but it won't be fair if we win and then you battle poor wittle Togepi…" She made her pouty face and held up Togepi. Even the little b****** was in on it.

"Well, I guess I'll use Snubble. It's my newest Pokémon, after all." I sent out Snubble. It stood at attention and did a salute.

"Wow, that thing really likes you, dude," said Burgundy. We looked over at Wes and Kelci, who were using Porygon and Elekid. I shook Wes's hand.

"May the best team win, Wes."

"Don't worry, we will!"

…

Another branch whacked me in the face as a bent it forward to try and make my way through the brush. Every time some flora would dare touch its commanding officer, Snubble would jump up and karate chop the insubordinate branch. What a good soldier.

Burgundy hung back, with Togepi on her back, reading the list. Togepi was really starting to warm up with her. Give a kid enough time and force it to spend time with you, I guess things'll turn out OK.

"Well," said Burgundy, scanning down the list. "We have the leaf bitten by a Caterpie, and the mica. I think I heard wings flapping; maybe we should look for the red Pidgeotto feather."

I nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for nests. Snubble, you too." Snubble saluted. About five minutes later, I held out an arm to halt Burgundy, and held my finger to my lips to signal her silence. I pointed to the tree filled with napping Pidgey and Pidgeotto. I began to tiptoe towards the tree. I reached a low hanging branch, with a Pidgeotto napping on it. I slowly reached my arm towards its crest when all of a sudden…

I heard a squawk, then about a million wings flapping, and all of a sudden I was overwhelmed by a flurry of wings, beaks, and talons. I fell on my rear into the mud. I removed my arms from their protective cover in front of my face. I looked over at Burgundy. "Are you okay?" I called.

She sat up. She had fallen face first into the ground. Her hair was a mess of feathers and…I don't even want to know what else. She plucked a red feather from her hair. "Got it," she said weakly, and fell back down.

…

Wes and Kelci sat behind the tree, trying their best to conceal their laughter.

"That was priceless," said Wes, doing his best to recover his mouth after he had spoken.

"Yeah," said Kelci, holding up a red feather. "Pidgeotto really get upset when you take their feathers!"


	25. Chapter 23: The Last Straw

Burgundy and I stumbled out of the forest. We had been knocked down, stung, swatted, beaten and battered, but at last, we had gathered everything on the list. From Beedrill honey to Miltank fur, we had it.

We turned around sharply when we heard a twig snap. Wes and Kelci came out behind us. I prepared to bolt. "Do have all the stuff too?"

Wes and Kelci laughed and high-fived. "Nah, we were just messing with you most of the time."

Burgundy whimpered. "I hate both of you."

"Yeah. Well, why don't you two just go turn in your stuff already?" Wes and Kelci began to slowly walk ahead of us.

"Hey guys," I said. They stopped dead in their tracks. "How come you're walking ahead?"

Wes turned around and scratched his head. "Well…because…ah…run!" He and Kelci took off.

"They have the stuff! Get them!" I ran full speed after them. Once I was in range, I tackled Wes to the ground. Kelci didn't stop; she must've had the stuff.

"Burgundy, go!" I saw a pink flash in the bushes. Snubbull leapt up onto Kelci's head, and blocked her eyes. She tried to shake it off, but to no avail. She fell on the ground.

Burgundy made it safely to the judges table. She jumped up and down with glee. I could hear Togepi chirping with delight.

"Nice try Wes," I said, no sitting on his back. "But the best came in 1st."

"I can't breathe," he said, his voice muffled.

…

About an hour and a half later, everyone had made it back, and were now gathered around the makeshift battlefield. Snubbull was out and ready; Togepi was playing in the dirt.

The woman who had given us our numbers stepped up. "Okay, everyone, I hope you had fun today! As we should know by now, Team 19, Burgundy and William took first place! They will now battle for…" She held out her arm. A small, blue snakelike Pokémon slithered up it. I heard some murmurs from the crowd; it was a Dratini, a very rare Dragon-Type.

Burgundy squealed: ever since we first began our journey together she had wanted a Dratini. I felt bad for Togepi; it was gonna have a real workout today.

"I will serve as referee. The first teammate to knock out the other's Pokémon wins! Begin!"

"Ladies first!" cried Burgundy. "Togepi, Metronome!" Uh-oh! I forgot it had that move! I remembered how much havoc my Clefable had caused with it.

Togepi waved its arms back and forth, as I "Hoped for the best, but expected the worst," as Amanda would always say. Just when it finished, it jumped up and down a few times, and stopped. It had used Splash.

"Okay," I said to myself, as I recited the term "Graceful Professionalism" to myself. I was going to win by a landslide, but I was still going to do it with honor and dignity.

"Snubble," I said, getting down on one knee to be almost eye level. "Use Brick Break, but lay off on the 'Break' part." Snubble nodded. Its arm glowed white, and it leaped forward, stopping right in front of Togepi. It tapped it on the head, and Togepi fell over.

I sighed. _Winning with grace should be a piece of cake, as long as Snubble can resist the o…ver…kill…oh come on! _Snubble had begun to glow and grow. It had evolved into a large, purple dog Pokémon with an iron collar around its neck: Granbull. "Oh, good grief!"

"Burgundy wouldn't have it. "Togepi, unleash your fury! You have to want it! Tackle!" Togepi dashed at Granbull, and when it reached its leg, began flailing its arms and legs at it. Granbull looked over at me. I sighed. "Go ahead."

Granbull tapped Togepi with its foot, and Togepi fell over.

"The battle is over! William is the winner!"

Togepi was bawling its eyes out on the battlefield. Burgundy walked over to it and cradled it in her arms. That wouldn't do any good. Sooner or later it was going to want Wes.

But I was wrong. Burgundy began to rock Togepi back and forth and sing a lullaby. It was in a language I had never heard before.

_Hm…_hummed Aria in my head.

_What is it, Aria?_

_That language…its ancient Unovan, I'm sure…I'm just not sure how she knows it. It should be all but erased from history. There ain't no Rosetta Stone for Unovan…_

Togepi began to calm down, until it was fast asleep. I smiled, and felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to face the woman with the Dratini. She held out her arm, and it slithered onto my shoulders. She handed me a Pokéball as well.

"Congratulations!" she said, beaming. "I hope you enjoy your-"A loud crash echoed through the field. A cloud of thick, black smoke covered the air. All I heard was screaming and coughing, until I felt a shove on my back. I heard a squeal, and then reached for my Pokéball.

"Flaffy, Flash!" Flaffy came out and illuminated the field. A group of hoodlums in black clothing stood before me. Most of them held cages with Pokémon in them. Out front stood one with a bit out a slouch. He had a scraggly, purple beard and purple hair.

"Well, Trainers, I must kindly thank you on behalf of our kind leader Giovanni-"

"Giovanni's dead!" I heard someone shout from the crowd.

The man stamped his foot. "Oh, no he ain't! He's just trainin', a-waitin' for the right moment to appear and lead Team Rocket to glory!" Wow, this guy really was their Messiah.

I glanced at his arm and gasped; he had Dratini. "Give us back our Pokémon, or else I-"

He chuckled. "Er what? Yer just a skinny lil' boy!"

_Crush him, _said Aria. _He's weak. One Neural Shock should knock him out for a good few days…_

_Uh, Aria? What's Neural Shock?_

_Oops, my bad! That was tonight's lesson. Just use your Blastoise._

I sent out Shellshocker, as well as Quilava. All of my Pokémon were now on the field. Wes sent out Sudowoodo, Wooper, and Lapras. Burgundy sent out Nidoqueen, Flareon, Ditto, and…for some reason, Magikarp.

All of the other Trainers followed suit, sending out their remaining Pokémon.

"Now, this doesn't have to get ugly, and I know you don't want it to." I peered into his mind, and found something. "Isn't that right…Petrel?"

He jolted like Flaffy shocked him (which was probably going to happen soon). "H-how did you know my name?"

"Come on? A bunch of petty thieves make away with some valuable eggs in the night, just to re-appear in a field not 3 miles from the crime scene? Call me crazy, but I think you stole those eggs."

"D-how!? How did you know? Are you some kind of psychic?"

I smirked. "Oh, you wouldn't believe how many times someone has asked me that!"

I stood, shaking for a moment. His eyes darted back and forth, looking at the crowd of Trainers and their army of angry Pokémon. He began to slowly raise his arms in surrender, but a shadow fell over the field. He looked up and smiled. "Ha! Looks like the cards 'is on the table, and you didn't have a strong enough hand!"

I looked up as well. A massive airship had taken to the skies. Smoke rained down, once again blanketing us. I heard Petrel laugh. "Heh heh heh! Later, boy! Thanks for the Pokémon!"

When the smoke cleared, they were all gone. Except…Wooper was sitting in the middle of it, with his dumb little grin and all.

"Wah…" said Kelci, stunned. "Wha…how!? How does it do that!?"

Wes looked around him. "Where's Porygon!?"

Kelci began to frantically search too. "Elekid! They took Elekid!" All the Trainers also began to look around and call the names of their Pokémon.

"Dunsparce! Dunsparce, where did you go!?"

"Ledyba! Ledyba, where are you!?"

"No! They took, Evee!"

I turned to say something to Burgundy, but upon seeing her, I choked up. She was on her knees, clutching nothing. Tears fell down her face. "Togepi…they took my baby!"

I turned to the sky to curse the airship…that was all I could do. But then…something happened. Something that I still don't know whether to refer to as a miracle…or something I should of ran from. The air behind Team Rocket's airship shimmered. Slowly, an airship twice the size of theirs uncloaked. It was much longer, and gleamed like chrome.

And then it fired upon Team Rocket.


	26. Chapter 24: Operation Castle Chamber

Shear watched from the Command Bridge as _Crystal Lance _fired upon the enemy ship. She nodded at the gunnery chief.

"Good work, soldier."

"Thank you, milady."

Shear began to walk back to her command post and await the time where an LZ would open up. As she walked, she remembered a certain mission that had started out quite like this one…

…

The two Team Plasma helicopters entered Saffron City, disguised as news choppers. Alpha Team (nicknamed Castle Team for the op) broke off towards the building as Highway Team (Gamma's temporary call-sign) went for an intersection where they would intercept the key (codename: Skeleton Key). Castle would be heading for the objective in the tower (codename: Sarcophagus.)

_This is Highway Team, _crackled the radio. _Good luck. Highway out._

Shear held down the comm button. "We won't need it, Highway. Castle out."

"Keepin' her nice and steady for you, ma'am," said the captain. Shear nodded.

"Good work, soldier."

"Thank you, milady." Shear began to walk back to her command post and await the time where an LZ would open up…

…

Shear leapt through the open window, followed by Gold, then Krim, then Morpheus. They had jumped in at a small, square shaped area in a corner of the tower. A hallway lead off elsewhere.

"Okay," said Krim, activating the holo-map on the gauntlet around his arm. The elevator leading down is literally right in front of us, so…that was pretty easy!' Everyone's heads jerked towards the hall as they heard whistling and steps on the wood floor. The all hid behind the large potted plant by the elevator. Morpheus transformed into a guard in Silph Co. uniform and leaned up against the glass. The guard emerged from the hallway, whistling, but stopped abruptly when he saw Morpheus.

"Nick? I thought you left for your break five minutes ago?"

"Oh? Sorry, I dozed off for a few minutes. I'll go now." The guard reached out his arm.

"Hey, man, congrats on getting engaged! You and Kate are-" Morpheus grabbed his arm and flipped him out a window. He transformed back.

"Yeesh," said Krim. "Overkill, much?"

"There's a ledge a few yards down. He'll live."

Krim knelt down in front of the elevator. He tapped the door with his gauntlet, and a green, hologram circle-looking thing appeared on it. He began to tap on it and spin it.

"Wow. Whoever designed the security on this door is a genius…" The lights began to flash red and an alarm blared. "I changed my mind. Whoever designed this is a jerk."

Shear growled. "Well, don't just stand there! Do something!"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" He tapped a few keys. "They'll just think someone walked through a metal detector with something in their pockets." The elevator doors opened, and Krim stood up.

"Ladies first." Shear stepped on his foot as she walked by. When they were all in, Krim pushed a button, and they descended.

…

The elevator door opened to reveal a dimly lit, dank storage area. Crates were piled up, forming a maze of sort. Krim activated his holo-map. "Okay, follow me."

They followed Krim for about fifteen minutes, dodging guards' flashlights and the math of a sniffing Growlithe every once in a while. And then they reached the door. It was at least 15 feet tall. It was orange and brown, and was grooved in a way that it must open with four different triangle-ish panels.

"Well," said Gold. "I don't suppose there is anything left to do besides wait for Highway to finish their half." Shear snorted.

"Please. Our part was at least 75%. All they had to do was stop a car."

"Yes, but still…" he pressed his fingers to the door. "This feels…strange. Familiar, almost. Like I've…" An alarm began to blare, and red lights flashed.

_ALERT, INTRUSION DETECTED AT GATE. ALERT, INTRUSION DETECTED AT GATE, _blared the feminine voice. _RESPONSE PRIORITY LEVEL: BLACK. REPEAT; RESPONSE PRIORITY LEVEL; BLACK._

Almost immediately, their only exit was blocked by a dozen guards, some armed with rifles, others with swords.

"Oh boy," said Shear, drawing her own blade. "I finally get to enjoy myself." Morpheus transformed into a Rhydon, and Gold took out a strange, black cylinder. He squeezed it, and it extended to a 4-foot long staff. Krim knelt down by the door.

"I'll have to concentrate on keeping this thing from double locking! You keep 'em off me!"

They charged. Shear sliced one's rifle in half, and kicked him back. She immediately switched opponents, hitting the butt of his gun with the bitt of her sword, and then bashing him in the face. Her first target had gotten back up, and drawn a knife. She parried his strike, ducked under his jab, and threw her shoulders into him, knocking him down for good.

She glanced over at Gold. Admittedly to her, he fought gracefully. He swung his staff at an opponent, knocking them down, then shrunk it back to its normal size and ducked as a sword was jabbed at him. He reactivated it, jabbing the staff into the swordsman's gut, knocking them back. He did a side-flip to avoid some bullet fire, then swiped the man's legs out from under him.

Shear resumed her battle, taking down three more opponents when she heard Krim gasp and grunt. A strange, new combatant had entered. It was clad in light metal armor, with metal claws on its hands. It wore a strange, steel mask. Its claws bore down on Krim's gauntlet, and Krim was holding out desperately; he had been taken by surprise and was at a disadvantage. The air shimmered, and more appeared.

"Stalkers!" cried Gold. He immediately focused on one of this. He took a more offensive, two-handed stance with his staff, but his lightning blows were blocked easily by the Stalker, a far more fast and agile opponent. Shear took on her own, its metal claws clanging against her sword. Its strikes were wild, primal, yet precise and balanced. When Shear tried a counterstrike, it flipped back and took out a small pistol.

Shear was knocked back by the tiny bullets. This gun had some sort of advanced firing mechanism. The bullets were fast, too. She blocked all but one, which grazed her ear.

She charged forward, and this time forced the Stalker into a defensive position. It blocked her strikes by swiping at them once more, trying to get her to slip up once more. But this time, she was quick and smart. She sent a timed kick into its stomach, and it went crashing against the wall. It slumped down. She helped her companions finish off the rest. It was not easy.

After about a solid hour of fighting, the Stalkers had been defeated. Shear, Morpheus, and Gold stood, panting, as their comm rang.

_Castle, this is Highway. We have the key. _

"About time!" said Krim. "Transmit the frequency of the code." The Skeleton Key Shell Krim held in his hand glowed as Strella uploaded the right components into it. Krim stuck it into the small, cylindrical hole in the gate. "Bingo!"

Shear turned around to where she had knocked out the Stalker. It was gone.

"Shear," cried Morpheus. "Come on! Doors' opening!" She turned and followed.

…

"Whoa." The chamber was lit up by green lights in rings around the circular room, probably about 30 feet in diameter. The rings extended all the way up the tube like chamber. It must have gone half a mile up.

"We must be further underground than I thought," said Krim as he walked around the room, amazed by all of the tech. It was cool, and the sweaty Shear shivered as she paced about. In the center of the room, a gigantic generator hummed. The generator must have been 100 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Right in front of it, attached to oh-so many tubes and wires linking it to the generator, was the Sarcophagus.

It really did look like a sarcophagus. It was a 7 foot tall silver case, with an upside down, glowing green triangle at the top.

Krim smiled and put his hands on his hips. "Well, lady and gents, we did it! Drinks on me when we get back!"

Morpheus radioed command. "Command, this is Castle. We have secured the objective, ready for evac."

Shear paced the room, observing their bounty. _What was inside? _She thought to herself…

Unknown to her, the air behind her began to shimmer. A Stalker, the one she had first knocked out, appeared and raised its gun level with her head.

"That was some pretty good fighting, I have to admit," said Shear to Gold as he stood next to her.

He smiled. "Thank you, Agent Shear. Like I said, I don't shoot."

"Well, you certainly do-"

Gold shuddered. "Look out!" He shoved Shear aside and leaned forward. Everything went so fast, yet so slow. He make a choking noise, and blood squirted from the base of his neck. Shear turned to see the Stalker. Hilt over blade, she threw her sword at it. It buried itself deep in the Stalker's belly. It fell on one knee and electricity sparked all over its body. It twitched and sparked as it yanked the blade out, and vanished once again, leaving a puddle of oil and blood.

Shear knelt down next to Gold, panting. "Command, this is Agent Shear! We need evac, now! We have critically injured, I repeat, critically injured! Someone help, please…"


	27. Chapter 25: Redemption

The crowd was a mix of panic and fear. The larger airship fired at the smaller one again and again, its cannon blast roaring like thunder. A large explosion shook the sky, as the team Rocket ship began to descend, leaving a trail of smoke.

"It looks like it's gonna touch down in the forest a few miles ahead!" shouted Wes.

"If we can get over there, I can board and free the Pokémon!" I yelled back.

"The farm over there has some Ponyta!" shouted the woman. "You can ride those! Hurry!" She led us up to the ranch.

…

Now, I had never rode a Ponyta before, but when the going gets tough, I guess I'm one of the people who get going. I leaned forward on my steed as it dashed forward. Burgundy had her arms wrapped around my waist, clinging on. There were only two horses, so she rode with me and Wes rode with Kelci (that's right, Wes was the passenger. Apparently, Kelci was Ms. Equestrian and knew everything about Ponyta.)

Once we reached the more wooded area, the Pontya proved just as good as in the field. They juked trees, jumped over logs and pits, and avoided any obstacle.

After a while, I began to notice scorch marks on the ground, and missing treetops. I touched my heel into Ponyta's belly, and it stopped. I hopped off, and Kelci and Wes soon did the same.

"Were close," I said, pointing to the trees. "We should go forward on foot." Kelci nodded, and pat her Ponyta on the snout. It snorted and galloped back home.

"Stay gold, Ponyta," she said. "Stay gold." Wes laughed.

"Really, Kelci?"

"What? It was a good quote from a good book!"

"Guys!" Burgundy stamped her foot. "We need to be going! Those Pokémon need us."

We all nodded. "Right!" We took off, following the path of destruction.

…

I stood at the edge of the cliff (well, what was now a cliff, but used to be a meadow.) The Ship lay half in a crater, with the bow (that's the front) leaning out of it. I slid down into the crater, and my friends followed me. We got to the tip of the tail-end, where a large crater had opened in the hull. I sent out Shellshocker. He boosted me up, as well as the others.

We made our way through the topsy-turvy hall of the ship, until we found a place where the hull was twisted enough to where everything was straight again. There was a two-way intersection.

"Okay, I said, surveying the amount of unconscious Team Rocket grunts and Pokémon in one hallway. "This one was more protected, so this must be the way to the bridge. You three go down the other one; I expect that should be the way to wherever they're storing the Pokémon and the Togepi eggs.

"Wait, how do you know where everything is?" asked Kelci.

"Have you _ever _seen a sci-fi movie? The bridge is always well protected, and the cargo areas are always on the complete opposite side of the ship. Duh!"

"Oh, fair enough, I guess."

"Once you get there, take care of the whoever may have stayed conscious during the crash and the boarding, and release the Pokémon, and high-tail it out of here."

"What about you?" asked Wes.

I began to march down the hallway, Shellshocker behind me. "I have some unfinished business with Petrel.

…

I soon came to realize that I wouldn't be the only non-Rocket member in the bridge. Throughout the hallway, there were signs of battle. No, struggle; the Grunts were way outmatched. Whoever it was, (my money was on Plasma) they really wanted something in the bridge.

I reached the large, metal door, and heard shouting inside.

"Please!" I heard a muffled scream from inside. "Please, let us live. We won't trouble no one n'more!"

"It's too late for please." I recognized that voice; Shear. "We only have so much room on the chopper to get back to our ship, so we think we'll just take our pick from the valuable Pokémon that you pinched and be off."

"I…I promise I'll make it worth your while! Just please, take me with you!"

"Oh? What is it that you have that I could possibly want?"

"Eggs! Rare eggs we stole! They're hidden away from the Pokémon we just stole!"

"Wait!" I burst through the door. Plasma guards had their Plasma rifle leveled at the Rockets in the middle of the bridge. Shear stood in the center of the line of guards. She turned to face me.

"You!? What are you doing here?"

_HYPOTHESIS: THE ORGANIC TROUBLEMAKER KNOWN AS WILLIAM HENRY GREY HAS COME IN A VAIN ATTEMPT TO APREHEND THE ORGANIC MEATBAG KNOWN AS PETERL, AS WELL AS RESCUE THE STOLEN POKÉMON._

"Oh," I said to the robotic psychopath killing machine. "Hey, HK. How's it going?"

While Shear was distracted, Petrel panicked. He ran over to a control console, and slammed his fist down on a big button. Loud alarms began to go off, and the ship shuddered.

"Idiot!" Shear yelled at me. "Your job is to do only the things that we as an organization cannot! A crashed airship that _we _shot down is pretty doable for a small army! A well, on the otherhand, was good for you to take care of!"

"Yeesh, sorry."

"Milady," said one of the Plasma guards. "Petrel has triggered an emergency startup to bring security systems back. This failed, and caused the engines to start instead."

"Meaning?"

"The ship sustained heavy damage to shields and life support. Once it reaches a certain altitude, the system will overwork itself and cause a chain reaction in an effort to restart all critical systems, overheating the-"

"English!"

"Once we get high in the air, KABOOM!"

"Oh. In that case, we have more reason to leave. Goodbye."

"Shear," I said, blocking her path. "We can't just leave these Pokémon…"

"We? What _we_? I ain't taking you!"

She pushed me aside, and her guards flanked her as she left. I turned to Petrel. He managed a weak smile.

I walked down to the command console, and began to survey the buttons.

_Aria, _I thought. _Can you help me?_

_Help you fly a giant warship? I'm 1500 years old, Will. I know how to fix the wheel on a wagon, much less turn on an automobile!_

"Uh, what're you doin?" asked Petrel.

"Shut up! I'm trying to fix what you've done!" I looked out the front window. We were slowly rising. I began to panic. I looked around. I saw a small blue button, next to a small red one. There were small rectangles cut out under it; a comm!

I ran over and keyed it. "This is Will to the cargo bay…I hope. Guys, you there?"

About thirty seconds later, I got a response. "Yeah, this is Wes, we're here! Everyone was knocked out cold, so we didn't have to do anything much. How are you doing this?"

"Long story! In short, Petrel turned the ship back on, it's messed up pretty bad, and it's gonna blow up when it gets high up in the air."

"Yeah, I thought I felt the ship moving…wait, did you say blow up?"

"Yeah. But if I can keep this thing low enough, we'll be fine…I think. Do you know how to fly a warship?"

"No, only in video games."

"Does Kelci or Burgundy?"

"I'll check." I heard some muffled back and forth chatter, and then Wes came back. "No, no they don't."

"Wonderful. Do your best to keep the Pokémon safe and calm. Bridge out." Wow, I've always wanted to do that. I shook my head to clear out fantasy and focus on reality. I turned to the Plasmas.

"Are any of you pilots?"

They all looked at their feet. "Our pilots are all unconscious…"

"Are you kidding me! A whole bridge worth of people on an airship who don't know how to fly an airship! What do you even _do _up here?"

"I run communications," said one girl.

"We keep the systems in check," said a couple of guys.

"I just play WoW," said one guy. I looked at Petrel.

"I sit in the captain chair and tell people what to do."

I groaned and leaned over the console, wondering what to do. I could at least try to save everyone. That way I will have died doing the right thing. I weighed all of my options carefully.

_WARNING, _said the computer. _SHIP CURRENTLY RISING TO UNSAFE ALTITUDE. ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL CORE OVERLOAD AT CURRENT RATE OF ASCENT, FIFTEEN MINUTES._

I had only one option I could think of. I folded my hands.

"Arceus," I said, my eyes closed. "Listen, I'm sorry for all those times I used you name in vain, and cussed, and all that other stuff, and I know I'm not an overly religious person, but I could really use a hand right now." I peeked my eyes open. The Team Rocket people were staring. I ignored them.

"Remember that time I prayed to you that Julia Hassler would go with me to the Graduation Dance, and you didn't come through? Well, I forgive you for that. And for the bad-godly humor I assumed you had caused when her boyfriend had happened to be standing right there and broke my nose." I sighed. Not only did Team Rocket think I was stupid, I did too.

"Okay, listen. I may not be the one to save here, definitely not Petrel, but there are Pokémon on this ship. Innocent Pokémon, taken from the people who love them. Not only that, but Pokémon yet unborn, yet to feel the sun on their face, or hear the sound of a voice belonging to the person who cares for them. So please, give me the strength to do this. For them. For their future. Amen."

I turned back to the console to try and wing it with divine help, but then the comm crackled.

"Hey, idiot," said Shear. "I assume you're trying to save the day, so pick up. I know you're there."

I keyed the button. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Well, my boss is gonna be pissed if he finds out you died, so I'll have my resident nerd coach you through this." There was a moment of silence, followed by the _clunk _of the comm being keyed on the other end.

"Okay," said the new voice. "No way you can legitimately land this thing, but there is an ocean in the nearest city, Olivine. You can put it down there. Now, here's what you do…" He began to relay commands to me to keep the ship low, but going. I relayed them to Rocket grunts, who scurried about, carrying out my orders. A few excruciating minutes through, Petrel spoke up.

"Wait, why're we takin orders from this scrub? We could take him down now!" I hovered a finger over the lever that the scientist had told me controlled how high the ship could go. I was cranky, tried, pushed to the limit.

"Do you want to die!?"

He gulped, and sat down for the remainder of the flight.


	28. Chapter 26: Feeling the Heat

_WARNING! COLLISION WITH OLIVINE OCEAN IMMINENT. ADJUST COURSE. ESTIMATED HULL DAMAGE, 38%_

The ship rocked, and most of the Rocket Grunts fell over as we touched down in the water. I stumbled over to the comm, trying to stay awake.

"Wes…we're clear. Everyone okay down there?"

"A few bumps and scratches, but everyone's okay."

I sighed, and sat down on the floor. Petrel stumbled over to me.

"Boy…that was the best 'dern flyin' I ever did see!" I slumped down in front of the console and began to nod off. I saw Petrel smile. "You do now realize we overpower you, don't you?"

I smiled as my consciousness faded, and watched a squad of police officers storm the bridge.

…

_Wake up. Come on, get up, Sleeping Beauty. When you clunk out like that, I can't talk to you, so get up. Plus, when it's a total KO it gets kinda dark in here. Wake up. WAKE UP!_

I jolted awake. I was lying on a stretched on the beach. All around me I heard laughter and happy talking. I leaned up on my elbow. The Trainers who's Pokémon were stolen were now being reunited.

Something jumped on my stomach and knocked my breath out of me. Togepi toddled up to my chest and plopped down.

"Toke toke!" it exclaimed joyfully. I picked it up and stood. I still felt kind of woozy. A nurse walked over to me and put a forceful hand on my shoulder, sitting me back down.

"Careful. You suffered from heat exhaustion. We wouldn't want you to pass out again." She handed me a bottle of water. Wes, Burgundy, and Kelci approached. Burgundy took Togepi off of my lap.

"Togepi, what did I tell you? Don't leave my sight ever again, okay?"

I clasped Wes's hand. "Dude, that was amazing. You ought to give me flying lessons sometime."

I took a gulp of water. "Never again. Ever."

"Alright, yeah, I was just kidding…"

"No, seriously. If I ever have to go somewhere again, we're taking a boat." My feet are never leaving the Earth ever again!"

We all laughed, but turned to see a group of people I strange uniforms approach. I recognized them; Ranger uniforms. At the front of the group was Juno. She looked angry.

"Hey, Juno, what's-" She picked me up by the front of my shirt.

"Listen, idiot! If you _ever _do something that dangerous and stupid again, and live, I swear I will _kill you myself_!" She held me there for a moment. A Ranger but a hand on her arm.

"Relax, Juno, he was a hero."

Her arm shook. She dropped me and walked away. The one Ranger remained.

"What's her deal?" I asked.

"I don't know," said the Ranger, scratching his head. "She's been kinda cranky ever since…"

"Ever since what?"

"Well, ever since she came back."

"You don't say…"

…

That night, a party was thrown in my honor at the Olivine Café. Apparently, a certain mayor of Olivine City's daughter was participating in a scavenger hunt, and her precious Chikorita was stolen by criminals, and then rescued by a dashing young Trainer. Pretty much everyone who's Pokémon I had saved was there, plus most of the police officers and Rangers.

"Kid," said one of the police officers. "If there was a medal for crashing a warship full of hostage Pokémon into and ocean, while also rescuing a stolen cache of eggs and aiding in the capture of a wanted criminal, than you'd have it, son."

I smiled. "Thank you for the gesture, though."

"You deserve to walk outta this with something. I'll see what I can swing for ya'."

I turned around, only to be bumped into by Burgundy. She staggered around, and I held her still.

"Burgundy, are you…?"

She hiccupped. "Yup. Wes tried to stop me," she leaned in close and whispered the next part. "But he couldn't." She burst out laughing, and fell down. Wes broke through the crowd.

"Wes…did she drink…"

He shook his head. "No. She's one of those people who can't handle sugar and caffeine. I saw her getting one soda, and I thought, 'Hey, it's a party. Why not?'"

We stood the for a moment. 'Well, why not?"

"Turns out it was her 5th one tonight. So I'm trying to keep an eye on her."

"Trying?" She swayed back and forth and hiccupped again. "My friend, you *hic* are one of the worst…try-ers I've ever seen. Like *hic* ever."

He lead her away. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I was Kelci. She held a notepad and a pencil in her hand.

"Hey, Kelci. What's up?"

"Oh, I remember a certain dashing young Trainer promising me the story of a lifetime." She extended her arms. "This is pretty great, no?"

"That is true, but, you know, I'd hold off if I were you."

She looked confused. "Wait…why?"

"This is just the beginning. We'll be seeing a lot of Team Rocket, that's for sure. Especially now that we just took down one of their top guys. So, why not hold off on the story? You only get one shot at submitting. Would you rather take Cici's job, or watch you break down in tears as you took her job?"

"Well, I just want to be recognized, I don't want to hurt my sister. Plus, what if nothing else comes up?"

"If nothing else comes up, I pay the price, not you. Plus, Cici doesn't just deserve to lose, she needs to. You have to know how it is to lose to truly appreciate it when you win."

Kelci smiled, and put her notepad away. "That's right, Will. So when I win this, it'll be all the sweeter." I punched her shoulder playfully.

"That's the spirit."

Kelci looked over my shoulder. "Oooooh, Will, looks like you've caught someone's eye." I looked where she was looking. There was a table with two girl looking at me. One started to blush, and looked right back down at her drink. She other continued to look at me, and waved. I smiled back.

"Not exactly. Come on." I lead her over to the table.

"Hey, Will!" said the taller girl.

"Hi Jasmine. What's up?"

"You know her?" asked Kelci.

I nodded. "She's one of my sister's friends from school. She used to hang out with my sister at our house all the time."

"I see you've been making a name for yourself. You've grown from that little kid I used to tease years back."

"Yeah, about that. I plan on paying you back for all of that in our Gym battle."

"Name the time, challenger."

"Tomorrow. As soon as the Gym opens."

She smiled and raised her glass. "Than a toast to you, then." I looked back at the girl. Her head was facing her glass still, but her eyes had peeked up. When her gaze met mine, her eyes shrunk back.

"Who's this?" I asked Jasmine.

"Oh, this is Rita. She's one of my Gym Trainers." She leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "She's pretty shy."

I pulled up a chair and sat down. "Hi Rita. I'm Will."

She didn't look up. "H-h-i…"

"What kind of Pokémon do you use, Rita?"

"Um…Magnamite…"

"Cool. How often do you battle?"

"Not often…I'm not very strong."

I thought for a moment, and got an idea. I leaned over to Jasmine and whispered it to her.

"That's a great idea! I love it!" I turned back to Rita.

"Hey, Rita, how would you like to take part in my Gym battle tomorrow?"

Her head shot up. "W-what? How?"

"Well, it would be a double battle. Jasmine would use two Pokémon at once, and you and I could each use one."

"B-but isn't that against the League rules…"

A man sitting at a table behind us turned around. "Did someone say League rules?" I recognized him as the mayor; the one who had thrown this party for me. I stood and shook his hand.

"Mr. Mayor, I'm honored that you threw this party for me."

"It was the least I could do for the dashing young Trainer who saved my daughter's Pokémon. She extends her gratitude, as well. She would be here, but her mother doesn't want her out this late at night."

I chuckled. "I understand. Tell her I said hello."

"Oh, I will. And I've been thinking this whole time of a greater way I could reward you for what you did, not just on my daughter's behalf, but on the behalf of all the Pokémon you saved today. And I think I have an idea."

"Oh?"

"You see, I happen to be on the Johto League Committee. We make the rules for the League. And, if the other members hear what you did today, I think they won't mind if I bend the rules this one time."

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor," said Jasmine.

"Yeah, thanks!" said Rita, now really perking up.

"It was my pleasure, really. Enjoy your party, Mr. Grey."

…

Arianna approached Archer. He was staring out the lighthouse viewport, watching the ocean, and the recovery vehicles zip around the wreckage of their airship.

"Archer," said Arianna. "Are we to re-take the _Borealis_?"

He shook his head. "No, it is lost. The Rangers will take it, and most likely use it against us. But it will take time to get back in order. And, if we don't get our act together, they won't get the chance to test in on us."

"I agree. So we are simply re-acquiring Petrel?" She said re-acquiring like he was just a tool. Which is all he was to Archer.

"Yes. AS much of a fool as he is, and as much trouble he undoubtedly will cause us in the future, his pull with the scum and underworld of Johto is necessary at the moment."

Arianna nodded. "I understand."

Archer clenched his fist, and held it in front of his gaze. "When Giovanni returns, he will lead us to a state greater than that of which we once were. And I will be at his side when he does."

"Archer, there is the matter of Giovanni's son…"

Archer turned halfway. "Giovanni has no son. Not anymore. Not after what Team Plasma and Shear did to him."


	29. Chapter 27: Lighting the Way

My Gym battle had pulled in quite the crowd. Pretty much everyone from the party, as well as some townsfolk, had come to watch as Rita and I battled it out with Jasmine.

"Okay," called the ref as we took our sides on the field. "Today, we're doing something a little different. Today's Gym battle will be a double battle. Jasmine, our Gym leader, will be using two Pokémon. Our challenger, William Grey of Viridian City, will be using one Pokémon. His partner for this match, Gym Trainer Rita Altum, will use one Pokémon as well."

I turned to Rita. "Are you ready, Rita?"

She gulped and nodded. Her face was cherry red.

"Let the match begin!" Jasmine sent out both of her Pokémon. One was a Magneton. The other was a Pokémon I faced in the Kanto League…what was it called…oh, yeah, Steelix.

"Steel Types, eh?" Quilava, I let's go!"

"Magnamite, I choose you!"

Quilava and Rita's Magnemite took the field.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel on Magneton!" Rita looked at me, worried.

"Will, what should I do!?"

"Whatever you think is right, Rita!"

"I…I don't now!"

"Okay then…tell you Magnemite to use Take Down on Magneton."

"Magnamite, do what he said!"

Magnemite sped past Quilava, and made contact. Magneton stumbled back, and gave Quilava the perfect opportunity to strike with Flame Wheel.

I pumped my arm in the air. "See, Rita! When we work together, nothing can stop us!"

She smiled, and for the first time since I met her, she looked genuinely excited to be where she was.

"Magneton, Thunderbolt!"

"Quilava, block it with Flamethrower!"

"Magnemite, help it out with Thundershock!"

Thundershock and Flamethrower converged to block Thunderbolt, until a _POP _canceled them all out.

"Steelix, Iron Tail!"

"Quilava, Dig!"

"Magnemite, follow it in the hole!" Quilava dug down, and Magnemite zipped inside, just in the nick of time, too. Steelix's tail swooshed over the hole.

Quilava burst through the ground, with Magnemite behind it.

"Magnemite, Take Down on Steelix!" Magnemite bashed into Steelix's face, staggering like it did Magneton."

"Now, Quilava, Flame Wheel!" Quilava rolled up Steelix's long body, Steelix twitching, as if obviously caused pain. Quilava rolled up to the op, and into the air like a ramp. Then it came down, and bashed Steelix on the top of the head. Steelix swayed back and forth, and then feel down.

"Steelix is unable to continue!"

I high-fived Rita. She looked overjoyed. "Alright, now, let's finish Magneton. I think-"

"Magnemite, Flash Cannon!" Rita was getting a little too excited. As long as she didn't completely jump the gun, we would be fine.

Magneton narrowly avoided the blast, and began to advance on the now unguarded Magnemite.

"Quilava, intercept!" Quilava jumped up and batted Magneton back.

"Finish it, Magnemite! Flash Cannon!" A brilliant streak of light exited Magnemite, and stuck Magneton. It fell back down onto the field.

"Magneton is unable to battle! The victory goes to Quilava and Magnemite, and the battle to William and Rita!"

…

"William Grey, I hereby present you with the Mineral Badge!" said Jasmine, handing me the badge. "Congratulations!"

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without Rita." Rita smiled at me.

"It was nice to battle with you, William!"

"You too, Rita! I'm glad I got to see you in action. You're a pretty good Trainer."

She kicked the dirt. "Not as good as you, though…" I was amazed. I had always dreamed of being that Trainer, the one that everyone used in comparison to how strong they wanted to be. I had never been regarded like that before.

"Hey, I started before you, that's all. If you practice more, you'll be as strong as me in no time flat!"

"Yeah, that's the thing…Jasmine, is it okay if I, well…"

"What is it?"

"I…I want to take a break from being a Gym Trainer and take the Gym Challenge with Magnemite."

Jasmine smiled, and looked at me. This had been her plan all along, I figured out as she winked at me. It wouldn't have been beyond me to think she had orchestrated my crashing a Team Rocket warship into the ocean to bring her plan to fruition, though I'm sure she just wanted to boost Rita's confidence.

"Rita, I think that would be a great idea! You can go whenever you want."

"Thank you Jasmine!" I smiled as Rita embraced Jasmine.

"Well, I'd better be going."

"Goodbye, Will!" said Jasmine. "Tell your sister to get well soon for me, would you?"

"I will." I gave her a hug.

"Bye Will," said Rita. "Thanks for everything."

I bent down slightly to be at eye level. "Anytime, Rita." I gave her a kiss on the cheek, and turned to leave. I heard her sigh, and I looked back. She had fainted, and Jasmine had caught her.

"Oh, and by the way Will, I think she really likes you."

…

"That was a great thing you did today, Will," said Burgundy, shifting Togepi in her arms as it began to get fussy. Ever since the _Borealis_, Togepi had really started to get attached to Burgundy. It hardly acknowledged Wes anymore.

"That's what I do." I stretched and tipped my hat. "I can't help but help the ladies. And the ladies just can't help wanting my help."

"Don't get carried away, Romeo." I turned around. Skye and Juno were approaching.

"Hey, guys! How's it going?"

"Good. Kind of boring though." Skye sat down on the wooden bench nearest to us. "Dealing with the _Borealis_." She thought for a moment. "You know, since the ship is getting turned over to the Ranger Union, and I'm the one in charge here, I get to re-name it…"

"And?"

"How does the _William Grey _sound?"

Juno snorted and sat down next to her. "Might as well name it _The Pushover_. Or, better yet, how about _The Egotistical_?"

I smiled at Juno and turned back to Skye. "That sounds great. Who gets the honor of commanding this fine vessel?"

"We choose that later on. So how was your Gym battle?"

"I won. Would you have thought otherwise?"

"Well, you have proven me wrong time and time again…"

I punched her in the arm. She laughed.

"Would you two quit flirting," said Juno.

"What's wrong, Juno?" asked Kelci, hands on her hips. "Jealous, are we?"

"Gwah…tch, no!" She looked me in the eyes. Her gaze pleaded with me to not tell them of what she did back in Ecruteak.

"So, Will, where to next?"

"Hm." I thought for a moment. "Well, Cianwood City is right across the ocean. I was thinking I would take a boat over there and face their Gym Leader. Wanna come with? It'd be just like old times!"

Skye gulped. I remembered her fear of water. In fact, she probably had trouble being in this city, with its proximity to the ocean.

"I get that you busy. Sorry I asked."

"No, it's okay!" Skye got up and stretched. "C'mon Juno. We have some more work to do with the _Borealis_. Then, we have to get right back out to continue with the Maelstrom investigation."

Juno groaned. "Right when I was getting comfortable…"

"Rangers! Help!" We all turned. A skinny man in a police uniform came running at us, full speed. He stopped, and doubled over panting.

"What," said Juno. "What is it!?"

"Petrel! Team Rocket sprung Petrel! We saw them going towards the lighthouse!"

Skye looked at me. "Up for one quick adventure before we have to go?"

I snorted. "You know it."

**Consider the four chapters in two days an "I'm sorry" for the absence!**

**-TrainerNaps**


	30. Chapter 28: Not My Best Plan Ever

Flaffy, Thundershock!" The last of the Rocket Grunts' Rattata and Koffings were knocked out. We continued up the stairs. After a while, Kelci, Wes and Burgundy began to huff and puff.

"We need…to take a break…" puffed Wes.

"No!" Juno stomped her foot. "We just saw Petrel get in the elevator when we came in. If that thing wasn't slow as all get-out, than he'd be gone already! But if we delay and longer, he _will _get away!"

"Can't we stop for a just a minute?" I asked.

"No! I told you we shouldn't have brought them! They're just holding us back!" Skye put a hand on her shoulder.

"How about this. We go ahead, and they go back down to secure the lobby?"

"Sounds good," said Burgundy. Juno growled.

"Fine. But if they find a way to mess this up, even from down there…"

"They won't," I said. "They came through on the _Borealis_, er, I mean the _William Grey_. They'll be fine waiting in the lobby."

…

We reached the top just as Petrel was being escorted out of the elevator by two Rocket Grunts and Proton. He had a nasty scar running down his face.

"Hello there, Grey."

"You remember me?"

"Of course I do! It was your sister who gave me this!" He pointed to his scar. "In fact, once I get some free time, I'm going back for that…" He said a really, really nasty female insult.

"Oh, you just did it buddy! **No one **calls my sister that!" Proton was lead over to an open lighthouse window by a blue haired guy in a suit, and a red haired lady in a dress. There was a rope ladder on the other side.

"Proton," said the woman. "You stay behind and distract them."

He smirked. "It would be my pleasure."

I turned to Juno and Skye. "Go after them! I got this guy!" I picked a Pokéball; a special one. No one calls my sister a name like that and gets off with less than a thrashing. "Shellshocker, let's teach this guy a lesson!"

"Nice turtle, kid! Weezing, time to choke some blokes!"

I laughed. "What did you just say?"

"Shut up!"

Juno and Skye ran around our makeshift battlefield, and out onto the ramparts, and up the rope ladder.

"Shocker, Hydro Cannon, go!" A giant ball of super pressurized water formed in front of Shellshocker' mouth, and was then launched at Weezing by the cannons on its back. Weezing and Proton were blasted out the open window. Just when it seemed like they would fall to their doom, vines wrapped around Proton's underarms, ad pulled him onto the roof.

…

Skye and Juno reached the top of the roof, to see a Victreebel pull Proton up with them. The woman hissed. "Well, Proton, you are indeed in competition with Petrel for most incompetent. First you fail to take down a teenage girl, and then you get thrashed by her little brother!"

He slouched. "To be fair, she was at least 20…and a psychic."

"It doesn't matter!"

"Silence!" said the one in the suit. "Soon the Ranger's and their pet Trainer will be upon us. Let's go!" They began to walk towards the helicopter hovering over the edge of the roof.

"Oh, no you don't!" Juno charged at them, Styler-blade drawn. A trio of Koffing in the helicopter blaster her with Sludge Bomb, forcing her to stop and block, just as I finally reached the top.

Dozens of Rattata and Koffing were dispatched on the roof to distract us. _Pitiful, _I thought. _They're leaving their Pokémon behind just to save their sorry hides._

Skye tried to run through; to avoid the Pokémon and make to the chopper, but her way was blocked.

"One way through this, Juno!" Juno nodded. They activated their Fine Stylers. "Capture On!"

This was my chance. I dashed forward, full speed. I jumped over a Koffing, stumbled, but regained my footing. All of the Rocket Executives had made it onto the chopper, and it was leaving. I put on all of my extra speed, and, without thinking, jumped when I met the ledge. Everything slowed down. When I grabbed the chopper's landing gear, it all sped back up.

The sound of the spinning blades dominated my ears. I was losing my grip, and fast, as the chopper began to turn. I looked up, and saw Proton leaning out the side. A wild grin took his face.

"Well, well, well," he yelled over the noise. "Look whose finally the one hanging by a thread." He placed his foot on top of my hand. "Literally."

"Why are you doing this?" I yelled. "Why are you working with them? Why can't you realize that Giovanni is gone?"

"Shut up! He's still here! He'll come back! With his son rampaging through Johto, how could he not!? And with our organization, _his _organization, gaining speed, why would he not just take the reigns as we openly welcome him to!?" He pushed his foot down on my fingers. I let out a scream. "And, then again, why don't you just buzz off!" I stomped down on my hand, and I let go.

…

Skye sighed as she withdrew her Styler. "Capture complete." She looked over at the chopper, just in time to see me fall. She took off without hesitation. She drew her Styler line, and whipped it at the chopper. It wrapped around the landing gear. She jumped off the ledge, and swung on the line like a rope. She caught me in midair.

"Hey," I said awkwardly.

"Hey."

The Styler line snapped off, and we were sent sprawling into the air. I landed in a tree. Skye was headed for a straight fall to the sidewalk.

"Shellshocker, go! Catch Skye!" He did just that. Skye landed in his arms.

"Oh, thanks!"

"Stoise," he replied, letting her down.

I looked up at the helicopter as I walked down to where Skye was.

"Well, looks like they got away…"

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess…wait, look!"

I cupped my eyes to black the sun and looked up. Over the city, the Team Plasma airship that had shot down the _Borealis _had once again uncloaked. And it began to fire at the helicopter. The chopper began to weave, and the shots missed. It turned around, and began to fly towards the ocean. The Plasma ship re-cloaked, and I assume it was in pursuit.

I turned to Skye. "Well, now I definitely know where I'm going next."

…

"Wait, wait, wait," said Burgundy, hands on her hips. "Lemmie get this straight. You blasted Proton out a window, then jumped onto his helicopter, fell off, got rescued by Skye at the last second, and then saw that giant invisible warship chase the helicopter to Cianwood City?"

I looked at Skye and Juno. "Yeah, pretty much."

Kelci looked at me, and whipped out her pen and pad. "Well, is this a good enough story?" I waved my hand at her.

"Now, now, good things come to those who wait."

"Oh, come on!"

I turned back to Juno and Skye. "Well, I'm headed to Cianwood. You?"

"As compelling as this is, we still have to investigate Maelstrom." Skye looked at something on her Styler. "If you are going, then be careful. The Gym Leader there is pretty tough; he'll help you if you need it."

"Just don't jump off any more lighthouses, okay?" I laughed at Juno's remark. Skye went off to say farewell to the others. Juno went to follow her, but I stopped her.

"Hey, Juno, what do you say we…"

"What do you say we what?"

"What do you say we go hang out together next time. Just the two of us?"

She smiled. "That sounds great. I'm in."

She followed Skye, and I watched her go.

…

Shear walked into the analytics room on the _Crystal Lance. _Morpheus was looking through security footage from the _Borealis_, trying to turn up any information on where Team Rocket's base might be. He swore, and slammed his hands on the console.

"What's the problem?" asked Shear.

"When we shot at their ship, we must have hit a memory bank or something. A big chunk of footage and logs are missing. It picks up when they're already crashed." Shear looked at the multitude of screens, displaying footage from different points of time. In one, she saw that stupid group of kids, the ones that traveled with The Alpha. She gasped.

"Morpheus," she pointed to the screen. "Zoom in on that one." He did. She studied it closely, focusing on one particular person…

"No…no, I don't believe it!" She kicked a rolling chair across the room and left.

"Shear?" Morpheus rolled around in her chair. "Shear, what was that all about!?"

"I need to have a chat with The Alpha once we get to Cianwood," she said as she stormed down the hallway.


	31. Chapter 29: Family Reunion

We stepped off of the ferry onto the Cianwood dock.

"Ooooh," said Kelci, putting her hand over her eyes to block the sun. "Look at all the sunbathers! Maybe I could work on my tan later…"

I snapped my fingers a few times. "Guys, focus! Our main priority is to find Team Rocket. I say we split up to cover more ground. Ask around. See if anyone has seen any helicopters, ask where things are, if they've seen anything weird around lately. And if you find anything, don't go in alone! Call everyone, and wait!"

We all nodded in agreement, and were off. I hoped to Arceus that I would find them first. Because if I did, I was finishing this. Alone.

…

We spent the entire day searching. Over ten hours, and we found nothing. We agreed to meet back at the Pokémon Center, then go out at night (this time in pairs) to see if anything suspicious occurred after dark. I was hugging the corner of the shore, as I had toured around the coast under a cliff face.

"Stupid island," I said as I kicked the dirt. "making it so hard to find anything. They should call it Cianwood Side-of-a-Mountain, that's all it is…" I continued to walk, grumbling to myself, until I heard someone shout.

"Alpha, stop and turn around, if you'd please."

I stopped on a dime, and turned on my heels. Shear was approaching me. She looked mad. She lifted me off the ground by the color of my shirt.

"Listen, you little rat-"

"Did you call me Alpha?"

"That's what you are. You're the Alph-" She paused. "Dammit, stop trying to make me talk!"

"Huh, if only I had done that on purpose…"

"Listen to me, Alpha!" She shook me violently.

"You can just call me Will, yeesh."

"We aren't exactly on a first name basis, Alpha."

"We aren't?" She dropped me violently in the sand.

"Did you really think Shear was my real name!?"

"Well, I-" She whipped out one over her swords and pointed it at my neck. I back up to the wall.

"Enough small talk! The girl you're traveling with, Kelci. You will dump her in the next town from here and never speak to her again!"

I pushed the blade aside. "Wait, why?"

"Because-"

"Will!" I heard my name called. "Will? Where are you?" Kelci rounded the corner. "Will, whe-" She stopped dead when she saw us. Her jaw hung agape.

"Sa…Samantha?" I snorted with laugher. I looked up at Shear.

"Your real name is Samantha?" She kicked me in the groin. I entered the fetal position.

"Kelci, beat it! Go home!"

Kelci ran over to Shear. Her voice cracked and tears welled up in her eyes. "Samantha, where have you been? Why did you go?"

Shear turned away. "I was sick and tired of living in Cici's shadow. Sick and tired of living to the standard _she _set. Marching to _her_ drum." Shear turned back in a fit of rage. "In school, I was never as good a student as _Cici_, my teachers said! In sports, I was never as good an athlete as _Cici_, my coaches said." She paused for a moment. "At home, I was never as good a daughter as Cici, my parents said."

Kelci stomped her foot. "Well, that's just the way life works sometimes! When you left, all of the pressure got shifted to _me_! I had to work harder, do better, and I couldn't handle it! Not without you! It was you and me vs. Cici, remember? You can't just run away because you fell less than…"

"That's not the only reason!" She threw her sword into the sand. "Cici got all of the opportunities! I got NOTHING! You remember from the time since…well, forever, that I wanted to change the world. That I wanted to make a difference! I never got to! Cici was always on the top, she could've done anything she wanted! I was struggling to stay in the middle."

She spread her arms and laughed. "But look at me now! I'm the one on top! The world is changing, little sister, and I'll be changing with it! And when all of the alphas, all of the ones on top now, when they're struggling to change, _I'll _be the one setting the standard!"

She turned to me. "Speaking of alphas, don't you have something do to right now, Alpha?"

I coughed "I'll get right to it, Sammy." She kicked dirt in my face. Then she turned back to Kelci.

"Like I said, changes are coming. And when they come, you'd better be ready to change. Or else someone will make a decision for you." She pointed to herself, and then to me. And then she left. Kelci stood there for a few minutes. Watching her go. And then she broke down in tears. I got to my feet, and got her off of hers. We supported each other back to the Pokémon Center; we were both wounded.

…

It had begun to rain. It came down hard, and splashed against the windows of the Pokémon Center. We all sat on couches. Kelci sat with a blanket around her, shivering.

"So," said Wes, finally coming to grips. "Kelci and Shear are sisters. That was…a surprise."

Burgundy shivered. "Not a very welcome one."

Kelci sobbed. I put and arm around her. "She means it scared her too. It scared us all. But that doesn't change anything. We trust you as much as we did before. Shear may be Shear, and you may be related, but you're still you. When you're with us, you don't need to be anyone but Kelci Nightingale." She looked at me, her eyes glimmering.

"Thanks. That means a lot."

Wes shifted forward. "Now, I don't want to sound rude, but there's something else that worries me. Shear called you 'The Alpha.' Alpha means prime, main, most important. Now, you say she told you that your only duty was to be where an army couldn't; to flush their enemies out. I mean, Shear used how many disguises on us in Kanto? And Morpheus can transform into anything, for Arceus sake. It sounds to me like you're something more to them; some sort of catalyst, or bridge, or…"

"Or what?"

"Or…some sort of key."

Burgundy rolled her eyes. "Come on, Wes, he isn't 'The Chosen One.'"

"Yeah, and even if I was, I'd hate to be chosen for this."

"Even so…why would they turn you into a…what was it?"

"Cryo-Human."

"Yeah, that. No racism intended."

"None taken, Carry on."

"Why would they use so much experimental technology on you, also no offense."

"Just move on!"

"-When Mogar said that they purged their non-Cryo agents. This doesn't make any sense."

I stood up. "I agree with Wes. They're hiding something from us. I mean, obviously they are, but it's something important."

"Yeah, I just don't know-" We were interrupted by the sound of…helicopter blades.

"Did you hear that?" I asked everyone. They all nodded. We dashed outside. The Team Rocket helicopter was getting away, over the sea. I was about to curse, but Kelci sent out her Noctowl. She gave it something, and it flew towards the helicopter. It returned a few minutes later.

"What was that?" I asked.

She sent Noctowl back to its ball. "It was a radio broadcaster. Not only can we listen to them, but we can track them."

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Burgundy jumped and cheered at our victory. "Turn it on!"

Kelci took out a small pocket radio and tuned it. There was a little static and interference, but she eventually got it.

"-ouldn't find it." I recognized the voice. It was the woman, Arianna. "We searched the caves, we searched the mountains, but it wasn't there. And it's not like this was an actual mission to find it, either. We were just hiding until the 'All Clear.""

"Still," this was the one in the suit. "Still, we should send a recon team back to find it."

"Humph," said Arianna. "If Proton couldn't defeat a skinny little girl, and Petrel and his _entire _crew couldn't protect their ship from her little brother, than why should we entrust a group of grunts to search for a Legendary Pokémon. Archer, I volunteer to return. Once we get back to base, that is."

"Fine. But don't fail me." She laughed.

"Have I ever?"

Kelci turned off the radio. "If I kept it on any longer, they might have found it."

I patted her on the back. "Great job, Kelci."

"Thanks."

"So, what now?" asked Wes. "Do we follow them?" I shook my head.

"No. We did our part. Now, we just transmit theses codes to Skye and the Rangers, and they'll take it from here."

"Right. And the other thing…"

"Yeah." I turned back to Cianwood City. "Team Rocket is looking for a Legendary Pokémon in those caves. And we're gonna find it first."


	32. Chapter 30: All in Good Time

The Cianwood caves reminded me somewhat of the Tojho Falls. Stalactites dripped water from the ceiling. I heard a waterfall's roar echo off of the cavern walls. Patterns of light danced on the walls as well; reflections from the running river.

"Well," I said, taking in my surroundings. "We might as well split up and look. I mean, it's a Legendary Pokémon. It can't hide from us in a dinky little cave like this."

"Size isn't everything, Will," said Kelci, looking around as well. "Some Legendary Pokémon are small. Like Mew. And Jirachi."

"Jirachi doesn't exist! But, yeah, I guess you're right."

_But still_, said Aria in my head. _It still can't hide from you. You in particular. _She was right! Using omnipresence, I could detect everything within a few feet of me. Albeit, this was a cave, so there would be a lot of Pokémon in it. No problem, though. I'll just use my emotion-reading powers to detect it. It'll probably be scared, maybe injured.

I took a deep breath, and began to focus. An invisible field began to expand around me. I could feel tiny tickles as small Pokémon entered the field, than a big buzz in my head when it expanded around Wes, Burgundy and Kelci. I continued to expand it for a few minutes. Nothing.

We progressed further into the caves. I tried omnipresence in multiple different spots, but nothing. Finally, after about an hour or so of searching, I heard Burgundy's joyous outburst.

She turned around to face us. "Guys, I found it!"

We all jumped. "Where?"

She turned back around, then twitched. She turned to face us again. "Guys, I found it!"

"Yeah!" I cupped my hands over my mouth to make sure she could hear me. "We heard you! Where?" She did the exact same thing.

"Guys, I found it!"

"We hear you!" shouted Wes. "Where is it?"

I ran up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. Nothing. She just kept turning, then turning back and repeating the sentence like a broken record. I looked over at a boulder in the direction she had been looking. I saw an ever-so faint glow…it had a green-ish tint to it.

I took a step forward…and then my mind got foggy. It took a step back.

_What? _I thought. I took another step forward. My head buzzed, and I stepped back.

_Make up your dam mind! _Shouted Aria.

_This isn't me!_ I took a step forward. My mind buzzed, and I held on to my consciousness. I forced another step forward. Then another. Until I reached the rock and…

A small, green, pixie-like Pokémon lie there. It struggled to keep its eyes open. It fluttered its wings, and then gave out. I heard Burgundy gasp.

"Ow," she said, clasping her head. "What just happened?"

I bent down and picked it up. "This little guy happened. What is it?

_Celebi_

_The Time Travel Pokémon_

_Celebi has the power to travel across time, but is said to appear only in peaceful times._

"Hey!" I picked up my Pokédex. "Where have you been?"

_Cleaning up your messes. That interference was coming from you, in case you wanted to know._

"Your AI is a bit…sassier than before," said Kelci.

"Yeah, what gives?"

_Whaddyou care? I'm back, doin' what I do._

"Uh, okay Dex…good to have you back…"

_I'll tell you whether or not I think the same. Capiche?_

"Yeah…" I put him away. I'd deal with him later. Right now, the sickly, apparently Legendary Pokémon in my arms demanded my full, undivided attention.

Burgundy walked over and stroked its head. "Celebi…so it does exist."

"It must've used that time stuff to protect itself," said Wes.

"Yeah. But it really picked one heck of a time to visit…you know, Team Plasma trying to take over the world and stuff…"

**Uh…uh uh…**

I heard the voice ring in my head. _Oh great, more voices in my head, _I thought.

_Hey, _said Aria. _It's pretty empty up here. I could use some company._

_Shut up._

**W-who are you?**

"I'm Will," I said to it. "William Grey. I'm a Pokémon Trainer."

**You can hear me?**

"Yes. See, I'm special. I can feel the thoughts of Pokémon. We can communicate."

"Is he…talking to it?" whispered Burgundy.

"I guess so." said Wes.

"Will," said Burgundy. "Ask it where it-"

"Shhh!" I hushed her. "Go on, Celebi. What were you saying?"

**The bad people…the ones who had the helicopter…are they gone?**

"Yeah, they left you alone." I was surprised. "Wait, you know what a helicopter is?"

It giggled in my head. **I've been to a lot of time periods, William Grey the Pokémon Trainer. I know what a lot of things are, were, and will be.**

"Cool. And, you can just call me Will. Some people have been taking to calling me Alpha lately, though."

**I like Alpha. It has a nice ring to it.**

"Actually, I'd prefer you call me Will."

**Okay. Teeheeheehee…**

"So, Celebi…do you mind if I ask why you're here?"

**No, not at-** Celebi stretched and yawned. **I'm…really tired. Can I sleep first?**

"Sure, go ahead." I began to lead my friends back to the Pokémon Center.

…

After Celebi's nap, she had plenty of energy to spare. She zipped around the lobby of the Pokémon Center, around and in between people's heads, causing quite the ruckus. She finally stood (or, floated), hovering in front of us.

**So, what do you want to know?**

"Why are you here? In _this _time period?" asked Kelci. "Will's Pokédex said you only appeared in peaceful timelines."

**What's wrong with this one? Are people dying? Is there a war?**

"Not exactly, but…wait. You don't know what time it is. I mean, the year."

**No, what year is it?**

We told her. She put a little green hand on her little green chin.

**Hm…that's about…five years after I…that's right!**

"What? What happened?"

**About five years back, a horrible monster was about to lay waist to Johto. It was rampaging through my forest, the Ilex Forest, in a fit of rage. See, the reason my shrine exists there is because that particular area is very easy to manipulate time in; very easy to travel to and from locations there. I can travel short months or years on my own, but for big trips, I go use my shrine.**

"So, what was this monster like," asked Burgundy. She was shaking.

"Was it a Pokémon?" asked Wes.

Celebi shook her head. **I don't remember. But it wasn't a Pokémon, I can be sure. All I can truly remember is the color red. Flashes of red, blinding red lights…red eyes. Anyway, the monster reached the center of the forest. It began to attack my shrine.**

Celebi shuddered. If the stuff from _Legendary Encounters _is true, than Celebi had very close ties with the shrine. They were almost connected, like two bodies sharing one soul.

**Like I said, my shrine is connected strongly to the fabric of time. Keeping with a fabric metaphor, think of time like layers upon layers of fabric, and my shrine as a pin. I can push it deeper, or I can pull it upwards. It attacked my shrine, and chaos ran throughout the timeline. Fires broke out in the forest all throughout time. A thousand years from now, a million years ago, I'm not sure where, I mean, when fires started, but in a lot of places, I'm sure.**

I saw Wes clench his fist and began to shake. I knew what he was thinking about; the fire in Ilex forest that had killed his father. Now he knew who really to blame; Maelstrom, instead of the cowardly Ranger deserter, Nytru Mace, who left his father for dead.

**Anyway, the attack was a complete surprise. My strength just shot out of me; I was unprepared. The monster couldn't be beaten; not in my state. I only saw one option. There were a group of people trying to fight the monster. We collaborated; we both knew the solution.**

"What was the solution?"

**To use my shrine to imprison the monster in the slipstream of time. Only, I didn't have enough energy. I could've charged up, but…the people, they forced me to do it. If I had done it, I would have completely destroyed myself. So, I sealed myself in with it.**

"And that kept you alive?"

**Barely. There was no real way to tell. Could've been a second. Could've been a trillion years. It felt like eternity. The whole time, it felt like I was being strangled while sitting in a fire. I had to fight to stay awake. If fell asleep, it would escape…**

Celebi looked down.

**I fell asleep.**

"Celebi, that's okay." I stood up and patted her on the shoulder. "No one else would've been able to hold it in for that long, let alone as long as you did! Well, it's out now, and there's nothing we can do besides make this right."

"Yeah!" Kelci stood up. "And we'll help you, every step of the way!"

Celebi looked up. **You mean it?**

"Of course we do!"

**Yay! **Celebi flew high into the air and twirled. **I knew you were nice people! I could feel it. Traveling with you is going to be so much fun!**

We all laughed as Celebi danced about the room. I thought for a moment, and then had a brilliant idea. "Hey, Celebi." Celebi stopped. "Have you ever been in a Pokémon battle?"

…

"The Gym battle between William Grey of Viridian City and Chuck of Cianwood City shall now begin!"

"Let's bring the pain, Primeape!" Chuck sent out his first Pokémon, Primeape. I looked at Celebi, who was hovering at my shoulder. "You ready?" She nodded.

"Alright then, Celebi! I choose you!" Celebi fluttered onto the field, and landed on her feet. She made a boxing gesture. Primeape laughed as it saw the puny Time Lord. Chuck laughed as well.

"Boy, I think you might want the dance academy down the beach!" I smiled. Celebi smirked too.

"Oh, we're gonna dance alright! Celebi, Psychic!" Celebi lifted her arms, and a shimmering glow surrounded her. The same glow surrounded Primeape, and it began to flail as it was lifted up off of the ground.

Celebi held it there for a moment, and then slammed it against the ground. It raised it up again, and then slammed it two more times simultaneously. It then flung the limp Primeape to Chuck's feet.

"Uh…Primeape is…unable to battle. The victory goes to Celebi?"

**Wahoo! **Said Celebi. **I did it, Will! Did you see?**

I laughed. "Yes, Celebi, yes I did!"

Chuck growled as I retook Primeape and readied his second Pokéball. "Alright, so it's not a regular fairy. But it won't be able to take Poliwrath!" Poliwrath took Primeape's spot.

"Poliwrath, Dynamic Punch!" Poliwrath's arm glowed, and it dashed forward. Celebi hovered back into the air, and narrowly dodged.

"Celebi, Solarbeam!" Celebi began to charge solar energy.

"Quick!" shouted Chuck. "While its chargin'! Hydro Pump!" Poliwrath sent a blast of water at Celebi, just as she fired. There was no contest: Celebi won that duel.

The ref, my entourage, and Chuck were holding their mouths agape. I calmly walked over to Chuck, picked up my badge, stopped to wait for Celebi to hop onto my shoulder, and then left.


	33. Chapter 31: Spooky

**That was so much fun! **Said Celebi for the millionth time since yesterday. We had taken a fairy back from Cianwood to Olivine (after talking to some reporters about having the fastest time clearing the Cianwood City Gym. And, telling Kelci to hold off on the story a little longer.)

**You know, I haven't really been to this area in the timeline. You know, because of the peace thing.**

"What timelines _have _you been to?" asked Burgundy.

**Well, the ones I usually hang out at are far in the past and far in the future. A couple thousand years ago, I'm worshipped as the goddess Serebii. That's pretty fun. A couple thousand years from ****_now,_**** I'm considered an equal by all humans. Humans in that time are pretty cool. They finally got the longevity thing figured out, and they've unlocked the full potential of the human mind. But, I like humans here. So much more down to earth. Well, metaphorically and literally…I think. Do you have colonies on other planets yet?**

Wes laughed. "Not that I know of."

**Oh. Okay!**

I whipped my head around. I could've sworn I heard a branch snap. "Did anyone hear that?"

"Come on, Will," said Burgundy. "Stop being paranoid." Celebi just giggled.

"Wait, Celebi, I have a question," said Kelci.

**Sure. What is it? **

"You keep using the word 'timeline.' What does that mean?"

**Good question, Kelci! Technically, I'm not the only Celebi. I'm the Celebi assigned to this timeline. The way timelines work is that I guess there was originally one, but when time, which was very young at the…well, time…was very unstable, and fluxed, multiplying the timeline, as in different things happened differently in each. Now, time is much more stable. A new timeline is usually only created when a time traveler significantly alters something in the past. See, if you changed something in the past, your present wouldn't change. Instead, a new timeline would exist, in which the change you made, if it were significant, matters. History is already written, but can be written differently in another book.**

"Oh, I think I get it."

**And every time a new timeline is created, a new Celebi is born.**

"Have you ever met another Celebi?"

**Yes, but multiple Celebi converging in a single timeline is usually discouraged by Our Master. It makes things…tricky.**

"Who is your master," I inquired.

**You'll learn someday. **She paused for a moment. **No, seriously, you will. I was there!**

We all laughed, but Celebi jumped (or, rose higher in the air) when we heard thunder boom in the distance.

"See!" Kelci leaned over to Wes. "That's why I wanna know these things!"

Celebi flew into my backpack. **I hate rain! It makes it hard to fly!**

"You can hang out in there. Just don't mess with anything."

**What's this?**

_Hey, watch it, Tinkerbell! _

"Celebi, could you please put Dex down?"

**Sorry! Yuck, it smells in here!**

"I'll tell you what my uncle always told me when I got tired of sitting in the car during road trips, 'Put up or Shut up!'"

**I guess it's fine, I…oh, a candy bar!**

Burgundy flipped around. "You had candy!?"

I chuckled to myself as I heard Celebi munching away. "Yes, Burg, _had_!"

…

We arrived back at Ecruteak a few hours later (a bit wetter than I think we wanted to be, but there nonetheless.)

I peered down the road. "What in the…"

White, orange, and black balloons dominated the streets. I saw people in all sorts of costumes, especially a legion of bed-sheet ghosts.

"Halloween already?" said Kelci.

"It's the Ecruteak City Ghost Festival." We all turned around to meet the mysterious voice. Who else but everyone's favorite jerk, Andrew (not to be confused with Andrew from Viridian City.)

"Sup, nerds." He messed up Burgundy's hair like she was a little kid. She growled. "What's with the hipster?"

Kelci stomped her foot. "I am not a hipster!"

He waved his hand. "Yeesh, you hipsters are so emotional. Wait a second…never mind. Well, I'd better be going, I want to get through this crowd before it gets bigger. If you think it's crazy now, just wait until nightfall. Come on, Kayla."

Kayla…that name sounded familiar…

I recognized the third person who was given a Pokémon and a Pokédex on the same day as Andrew and I as she walked by. She was soaking wet, and she looked less than happy to be here.

"Hey, Kayla…how's it been…?"

She puffed a strand of hair out of her face. "Shut up."

"Well," said Wes. "She is definitely different than your other friends…"

"Hey, Dex," said Burgundy, still fixing her hair. "Got any data on Jerk-Type Pokémon?"

_You askin' for insults? _

"Isn't that what I said?"

I toned them out for a minute. "Guys, what bothers me is this; Kayla is one of those people. You know, the ones who would never be caught dead with either me or Andrew; a nerd or a jerk. I mean, if he were an athlete, that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but…"

**How do you know this?**

"Being on the bottom for so long, Celebi; you don't have anything to do besides look up. I just feel kind of suspicious, that's all…" Celebi fluttered out of my backpack. She inhaled as the wind blew towards us.

**Oh! I smell candy! **She took off down the hill. "Celebi, wait! Ugh, you guys go have fun. I'll catch up with you later.

…

It was hard to find Celebi amidst the aerial sea of banners, streamers, balloons, and kites. But I finally found her, flying from booth to booth, sampling food. I apologized to the owner of each one, and paid for what she took. I finally caught up to her and grabbed her tiny arm.

"Celebi! You can't just take stuff! You have to pay for it!"

**You don't have the debt system yet? Cuz in the future, you can just take stuff and pay for it when you get home…**

"Not the future, Celebi!"

"How!" I heard a murmur of voices behind me. A bunch of people in costumes had gathered around us. "What kind of spirit is that?"

One Frankenstein cosplayer straightened his glasses. "Looks like a pixie to me."

"Nah," said another. "It's obviously a wood-elf."

**See, Will? I'm famous in this time, too!**

I sighed and shook my head. "Only with these people, Celebi."

"No, it's not a spirit!" A little girl, probably six or seven, squirmed through the crowd. She had fangs painted on her face. "It's a Celebi! It's a time traveling Pokémon from my storybooks!"

The crowd began to murmur in agreement. I jolted: if they figured out a real Celebi was here, that would be bad news.

"Uh…no! Actually, it's my Ditto! Yeah, it saw a Celebi in a movie we just saw!"

The same kid from before straightened his glasses again. "Which movie?"

I sighed. "Celebi: The Movie."

"Alright then," said the kid, looking proud of himself. "If it's a Ditto, then it'll transform back if we tickle it…"

_You're killin' me, kid, _I thought to myself, before coming up with another idea.

"Oh, don't do that!" I mentally informed Celebi of my plan. "When you tickle _my _Ditto, it turns into a Blastoise and bites you! See?" I tickled Celebi on the chin. She giggled, and flew behind my back, turning invisible and hiding in my backpack. I sent out Shellshocker using the hand behind my back. He came around the back of me. Most of the crowd dispersed hastily.

I walked around the corner, and tapping Celebi to give an "All Clear." She floated out, psychically laughing.

**That was great, Will! You're so clever!**

"Don't stroke my ego, Celebi. We wouldn't want that!"

**Yeah, I- **She suddenly grew silent. She turned and floated to the old, burned building behind us.

**Wha…what is that?**

"That building? It's the old, burned down Bell Tower. It burned down when lightning struck it. Three Pokémon got trapped inside and were killed, but-"

She began to cry. I went over to her.

"Hey, hey, you can't seriously be blaming yourself for every storm in the world!"

**No, this was my fault. The town's close proximity to my forest would make it a place likely to be affected by my shrine being attacked. Those Pokémon died because of me!**

"It was still a good thing! Those Pokémon were resurrected as three Legendary Pokémon, Raiku, Entei, and Suicune."

**Really? I didn't know that.**

"See? It isn't always black and white. Good thinks can come from bad things." We began to walk down the backstreets. "Let's head back to the Pokémon Center and wait."

**Yeah. And Will?**

"Yes?"

**You're right. It isn't always black and white. **She smiled at me. **Sometimes, there's a Grey.**


	34. Chapter 32: Revisiting the Past

That night, we went out and enjoyed the festival. Celebi was generally ignored, though we did get to use our switch-gag a few more times. Anyway, we played some games, ate some festival food, and went to bed late, are midnight. As soon as we got there, it was lights out and we all went to sleep.

After I don't know how long, I felt a nudge.

**Will? **I wasn't awake enough to respond.

**Will? Will, wake up please. Will? Alpha!**

"Ungh…don't call me that," I groaned. Celebi giggled.

**I knew that would work! **Even though she was speaking telepathically in my mind, she spoke in a whisper.

**I can't sleep.**

I sat up in bed. "Oh? Why not?" She floated down to my bed.

**I'm scared.**

"Scared? Scared of what?"

**The monster…what did you call it? Maelstrom? I can feel it. It's close.**

I jumped up. "It is!?"

**Oh, no. Not to us. To my shrine. If can sense things through my shrine. It's like my second body. I'm afraid it'll attack my shrine again…and this time, it'll break it. If it does…I'll go away…**

"Go away?"

**Die.**

"Oh." I wrapped my arm around Celebi and pulled her close. "Celebi, you'll always be safe as long as you're with us. I'll never let anything bad happen to you."

She looked at me with her big, puppy-dog green eyes. **You mean it?**

"Of course."

**Okay…**

I patted her on the back. "Ready to go back to sleep?" She looked back at me.

**Can I…can I sleep with you tonight? I'm still scared…**

"Sure." That was alright. I mean, people sleep with their Pokémon all the time. She squirmed under my covers, right in front of me.

"Goodnight," I said.

**Goodnight, **she chirped. I could tell she felt better. After about ten minutes, I heard the steady breathing that indicated her being asleep. Finally being sure she was okay for the night, I nodded off.

…

I opened my eyes. I was standing in a hospital, fully clothed.

"Is this a dream?" I said to myself, preparing to pinch my arm.

**Yeah, it is. **Celebi floated up to me.

"Where are we? What is this?"

**Sometimes, when I sleep, I time travel as a memory, or in a memory. We're in yours.**

"Why?"

**I just want to know a little more about you? And, no one can see us by the way, so don't try anything. This is just a memory supported by temporal waves, to project us to parts you might not remember, like things in the background.**

"Well, where or when are we?" My question was answered. A little girl, probably five or six, came skipping down the hallway. She wore a pink skirt and blouse, and had shoulder length light-blond hair. She had big blue eyes and a pink bow in her hair.

"Come on, daddy! Come on! I wanna see the baby!" Her father, _my _father, rounded the corner. He looked younger.

"Wait…" I turned to Celebi. "This is-?"

She nodded. **Yup. Your birthday.**

5-year old Caitlin and my father walked past us. We followed them into a room. In a hospital bed was my mother, cradling a bundle of blankets. Caitlin hurried to her side.

"Aw!" she said in dismay. "I wanted a baby sister!" My dad sighed. He looked…sad almost.

"Well thanks, dad. Feelin' the love," I said to myself.

"You got a baby brother instead," said my mother. "Would you like to hold him?" She nodded, and my father boosted her onto the bed. She held newborn me in her arms.

"Does he have a name, mommy?"

My mother nodded. "His name is William. William Henry Grey."

"So after Grandpa?"

"Yes, dear." My mother and father locked glances. "Your father would be proud, Cassius."

He wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm not sure he would be entirely."

That made me angry. "What the heck is he talking about!?"

**Relax. He's not talking about you. Use your emotion reading powers. You'll see.**

I read his emotions. I felt pride, love, happiness, and joy…everything that should be there. But also…regret.

There was a knock at the door. My father turned, as did I and Celebi. It was my Uncle Douglas (he wasn't really my uncle, just a close friend and college of my father.) My father went out into the hallway with him. I went to follow, but Celebi tapped my shoulder.

**Maybe we should get going.**

"Why? I think I need to hear this."

"Yeah, Celebi. It is his birthday, after all. We turned. Aria approached us, looking a little less…ghostly.

"Aria? Beat it!"

**Yeah Aria! Beat it!**

"Why? He gave me permission to make myself at home in here."

"No I didn't!" Her eyes glimmered and a conniving grin spread across her face.

"I wasn't talking about you…"

**Listen, Aria, your being here is putting us in the Teeter Zone…**

"The what?" I interrupted.

**When the past is interfered with, it can be something minor that changes nothing. Or, it could turn out to be something major. So far, we've been fine, but there's a point we call the Teeter Zone, where the timeline threatens to split. We're in one right now. That doesn't mean something will happen, but the risk exists.**

"How come?"

**Let's just say…there's something you aren't supposed to learn for a while…**

Aria tossed her hair. "I think he deserves to know."

"Well, Celebi is the time traveler here, so I'm siding with her."

**Ha! Now scram! **Celebi snapped her fingers, and the scene shifted. Now, we were standing in a classroom. Four or five year old kids were milling about.

"Wait I second…" I recognized this place. I saw a little boy coloring at a table. "That's me! This is my first day of school!"

**You were so cute!**

"And if I'm right, I should meet Amanda for the first time, right about…"

A little dark-haired girl approached past me. "Are you coloring?" she asked.

"Yeah. My name's William Henry Grey. What's your name?"

"Amanda."

"Wanna color with me?"

"Sure!" Past me moved over a seat and passed her the paper.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You're a girl, and mommy says girls always get to go first."

**Aw! You were such a gentleman!**

"Yeah, yeah. Should we move on?"

**Sure.**

The scene shifted again. It showed a sleeping Caitlin, about twelve years old. Six year old me ran into the room and jumped on her bed.

"Sissy, wake up, it's Christmas!"

I laughed as I watched. "I remember this Christmas. Keep watching."

Caitlin moaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes, k?"

"No! You're gonna sleep for like twenty more hours! That's what you did on Easter! Now come one, I wanna see what Santa brought!"

Over the years, I learned not to mess with my sister when she was sleeping. That day, class officially started on that lesson. She snapped.

"Ugh, go away! Santa Claus doesn't even exist!"

Past me was silent. Caitlin realized her mistake too late.

"No, Will, I mean-"

Past me ran out of the room, crying. Caitlin groaned and flopped down on her pillow.

**That's so sad!**

I was laughing, though. "No, it got better. To cover up, my parents told me that naughty children lose the ability to believe in Santa for a year. So to prove it, they re-head Caitlin's presents until her next birthday!"

**Did she get any coal?**

"You know it!"

Celebi laughed too. **Okay, I have an idea.**

The scene shifted. I was now crouching behind a bush. Celebi motioned for me to be quiet. Then, she pushed me down, onto a twig. It snapped, and before I could say anything, she clamped down on my mouth. I heard a familiar voice speak.

"Did anyone hear that?"

"Come on, Will. Stop being paranoid." Celebi and I peeked over the bush. There I say Wes, Burgundy, Kelci, Celebi and I walking towards Ecruteak.

"That was you!? I mean, us!?"

Celebi nodded. "Did you plan it?"

**No, I just felt it when it happened to us. I guess we've created a paradox, Will!**

"How did it start, then?" Celebi clutched her head.

**Even I don't get those!** She paused for a moment. **Wait; let me see if I can do something…**

The scene shifted once more. We were facing two oak-wood doors with carvings on them. Were we in a church?

"I do," I heard a voice say.

**Whoops! **The scene faded. **Too far!**


	35. Chapter 33: Mixed Signal

I awoke suddenly. Something was squeezing my arm; I quickly remembered it was Celebi. She was still nestled up against me.

_Good, _I thought. _At least this way, she isn't afraid._

Seeing that no one was awake, I went back to sleep.

…

"Come on Will, wake up!" Burgundy flicked me in the head. I rubbed the spot.

"Ow!"

"Come one, we're all ready to go!"

"I woke up a while before, but you were all asleep, so I just went back. Plus, Celebi was sleeping-"

"She's up too!" Celebi hovered over to me

**Wakey wakey, sleepy-head!**

I smiled, and got up to get dressed.

…

I was anticipating having to go through a cold, dark cave to get to Mahogany Town. But, lucky for us, a local hiker knew a shortcut. We rode across a small body of water on Shellshocker's back, and by noon, we were there.

"Mahogany," we all said in low voices, and laughed. Celebi sniffed the air.

**I like this place! It smells like trees!**

"Yeah," I said, sniffing the air. Even though I didn't have as good a nose as Celebi, I could smell the fresh scent of pine and other trees in the air.

"Look at that tree, Celebi!" said Kelci, pointing to a large, dark-green pine.

Celebi flew over to it, and sniffed it. She drifted back.

**This doesn't smell like pine. In fact, it doesn't smell like a tree at all…**

"Huh," I said. "Weird…" All of a sudden, Celebi jumped, and flew into my backpack. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to face Juno.

"Hey, Juno! Long time no see!" said Wes.

"Yeah, it's been…like, five days…oh well! Nice to see you all!"

"What brings you here?" asked Kelci.

"That signal you sent us leads here. Thanks, by the way. You really went above and beyond with that one. We're looking all around town for the source. It kind of faded when we got here. But I was just about to go on a break."

"Why?"

She grabbed my arm. "Don't even try to forget, Grey!" I remembered my promise.

"Oh, yeah! Guys, I know I said we'd go get lunch, but…uh…I kinda promised Juno…"

"Oh, yeah we get it! It's fine! Have fun!" My friends backed off.

_Celebi, why don't you go with them? _I thought.

**But…I wanna stay with you…**

_It's just for an hour, I promise!_

**Okay…**

Celebi flew out of my backpack. Juno peered around me. "Was that a…?"

"Long story. Where are we gonna go?"

"Well, I've heard of this one place…"

…

"The Lake of Rage," I said to myself as I sat down near the water. "Wouldn't be my first choice for a picnic spot if I heard about it, but it looks pretty nice!"

"Yeah. I didn't actually check it out first, but it sounded like my kind of place," said Juno. We both laughed.

We ate and chatted. About our adventures, friends, our careers. At one point, we just remained silent, and watched the lake and enjoyed the silence.

"You know, silence can be scary sometimes. Especially if you're from a city and used to noise," I said, looking up. "But here, at this beautiful lake…it's nice, really."

"Yeah. It's a nice break from all the yelling, getting told what to do, voices in your head…"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"About what?"

"Voices."

"Like, your conscience?"

"Well, you could say that. Let's just say the little devil on my shoulder has been acting out lately."

_Heard that._

"Really?" She stopped, as if to think for a moment. "Mine seems to have shut up." I heard Aria giggle.

"Shut up, Aria," I said, meaning to think it. Juno jumped.

"Did you just say Aria?"

I nodded. "Yeah…why?"

She took in a few breaths. "I used to have these vivid dreams. Of a person telling me to do things. We'd talk. Eventually, it would happen even during the day, just like another voice besides my own inside my head. She called herself Aria."

My head hurt, and it wasn't because of Aria. "When did this stop?"

"That night…the night where we connected for the first time…"

_In more ways than one, _I thought. _Aria! You have some explaining to do!_

She was silent. Juno looked at me, her eyes the same shade of deep, brilliant blue as mine.

"Things are so weird sometimes," she said, leaning a little closer.

"Yeah, but at least I'm glad that sometimes, things can be normal." I leaned closer as well.

And that's when the Earth decided to shake.

**Look out! **I was thrown back as a massive tree branch landed right between Juno and me. I looked up. It was Celebi who had pushed me.

"Celebi? How-?"

**I saw the future! You were in danger!**

"Will, are you okay!?" My friends came running out of the brush.

"Yeah, I'm fi-…were you guys spying on us?"

They went into emergency "Act Natural" mode.

"You were, weren't you!?"

Juno stood up. "Of all the sneaky, no-good-"Juno's Styler went wild. She flipped it open.

"The signal is back! And it's stronger than ever!" We all turned to the lake as a massive Gyarados snaked out. And it was red. Blood crimson.

_Gyarados_

_The Atrocious-_

"Yeah, thanks Dex!" I shouted. "We know!"

The Gyarados roared to the heavens. It shot a Hyper Beam into the forest, obliterating a line of trees. Bird Pokémon flew away to escape.

"Juno, you're a Ranger!" shouted Burgundy. "Do something!"

"I can't!" She slapped her Styler. "The signal is messing with this stupid thing!"

Kelci readied a Pokéball. "Will, send out your Flaffy! I'll use Elekid-"

"No!" I pointed out onto the lake. "Look, there are still swimmers and kayakers out there! They'd get fried." She nodded and put it away.

"We need to rescue them!" I sent out Shellshocker, Wes sent out Lapras, and Burgundy sent out…Magikarp. I gave her a look.

"What? It's a Water-Type!" I hopped onto Shellshocker's back, and we took off. Celebi pursued me.

"Celebi," I shouted over the roaring winds. "Go help the swimmers! Beat the waves away with your Psychic-powers!"

She faltered. **The wind and rain…the make it hard for me to fly!**

"You can do it Celebi! I know you can!"

She paused for a moment, then nodded and took off. I turned to my other side. A mysterious Trainer with a Dragonite was saving people, as well. I turned forward, just in time to warn Shocker of the massive wave headed our way. We went off it like a ramp, and had a tough landing.

"We have to deal with that Gyarados!" I said, desperately seeking a plan.

…

"I have something!" shouted the woman at a station on the bridge of _Crystal Lance_.

"What is it!?" Shear pushed through to her, and leaned over her shoulder. The woman pointed at the screen. A large red blip had appeared on the radar.

"Got them! Captain, turn this hip around! Full speed!"

"Milady, our cloaks will have to deactivate to pull a 360 degree turn like that!"

"I don't care! Do it!"

The mighty warship uncloaked, and began to turn. Once it faced west, towards Mahogany Town, its thruster's exploded with blue fire, and took off, re-cloaking as it went.

…

As I approached the red Gyarados, I realized how much of a plan I didn't have…which was pretty much all of it.

_What do I do? _I asked Aria.

_Well, I was going to teach you Neural Shock last night, but you just had to go on a little adventure with Celebi…_

_Remember, if I die, you die too!_

_Listen, I've realized that! My advice is to turn this turtle around, and let someone else handle it!_

_Like who?_

A giant, glowing form began to extend from the water. It popped, revealing a regular Gyarados: Burgundy's Magikarp had evolved.

_How about him?_

_Want me to do it now? _Said Dex _Or are you just going to yell at me again?_

I ignored him, and turned Shellshocker towards a group of struggling swimmers. As I turned, I saw the two leviathans clash, as Burgundy's Gyarados bit down on the other one's neck. The two went rumbling into the lake.

I helped the two swimmers onto Shellshocker's back, and we made our way to shore. I turned as we got further and further away from the two wrestling serpents. As I got to shore, the red one vanished in a red light; someone had captured it. Near where it disappeared, I saw the Trainer riding the Dragonite.

"Oh Arceus," I said. "I have a pretty good idea who that is…"

Once the red Gyarados was captured, the storm began to subside. I met up with my friends. Almost all of them were wet and covered in chips of woods and mud.

"Are you okay?" I asked Juno.

"What do I look like, to you? I know what I'm doing!"

"All you _did _was mess around with your Styler this whole time…" mumbled Burgundy. Juno swatted her on the back of the head.

"There's good news and bad news," said Juno. "We got a lock on the signal! They're somewhere in town! I've already sent the coordinates to the rest of my people in Johto." She tapped on her Styler. "That's the good news. The bad news is that there's a massive fleet of unidentified vessels on approach as well. I'll give you one guess who it is."

Wes grunted. "Team Plasma."

"Team who?" The Trainer landed. He wore a black cape, and his clothes looked like as far as a blend between leather armor and a tuxedo could go. He gave me a grin. "Sup, kiddo?"

I sighed. "Hey, Lance."

"Do you know him?" asked Kelci.

I sighed again. "Yeah. This is Lance. He's my sister's boyfriend."


	36. Chapter 34: Core Elements

"Really?" said Wes. "Are all Elite Four members linked in some way shape or form? Because seriously…"

Lance laughed. "Only the cool ones." He walked over to me and messed up my hair. I fixed it and put my hat back on. "How's the journey going?"

"Good."

"You know, you never did battle me. I remember being promised a battle first thing after you got your starter-"

"Lance, I was like 10."

"A promise is a promise, right kiddo?"

Kelci giggled. "Why does he keep calling you _kiddo_?"

"He and my sister have been going steady for a few years now. He's like a big brother to me."

Juno cleared her throat. "Are we forgetting that Mahogany Town is about to become a warzone?"

I turned to Lance. "We'll never make it in time! Can you-"

"Give you a ride? 'Course I can! I'm Lance, the Dragon Master! Hop on Dragonite's back, we'll be there in no-time!"

…...

It was raining fire. Plasma cannon shots and rocket shells flew through the air. Team Plasma's flagship, the one that had shot down _Borealis_, was present, as well as a number of Team Plasma gunships and fighter jets. Team Rocket had scrambled some helicopters to drive off the attack, no doubt.

"The Rangers and the air force will be here soon," shouted Juno over the high winds. "Team Plasma may have gotten here first, but at least we can hit them from behind!"

"Did you find out where exactly the signal was coming from?" shouted Lance.

Juno nodded. "In that shop next to the weird tree!"

**I knew that wasn't a tree! **

"The time traveler was right. Who would've thought?" said Wes.

We landed in front of the shop. Behind us, we saw a group of Plasma trainers approaching.

"You three hold the back!" shouted Lance at Wes, Burgundy and Kelci. "Will, Juno, and I will go inside!" Lance ran inside the building, followed by Juno.

"Celebi, you stay too! A cramped, underground base won't be a good idea for you! Good luck guys!" I shouted as I followed them in. The shop had been ransacked. Shelves were knocked over; things were strewn on the ground. Several Rocket Grunts lie on the ground, unconscious."

"They have some people in already," said Lance, walking over to an opening in the floor. It had stairs running down it.

"So…we go down there?" I asked, half willing to do so. Juno rolled her eyes yet again.

"Nope! We've just gotta wait up here until they come a'runnin up, ready for us to take them in! Good plan, Will!"

"Enough joking around," said Lance, beginning to descend the stairs. "We don't know how much of a lead they already have on us. We'd better get going." Once again, Lance took point, Juno behind him, and me behind her. We progressed through the white labyrinth. The lights flickered as the base shook. The battle outside must've begun to heat up.

"Hey Lance," I whispered. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

I face-palmed. Typical Lance.

"Hey Will?" said Juno, stopping. "Didn't you say that Team Plasma uses you to go places where an army can't go?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, wouldn't one Trainer be better to take on an enemy base than bombing the ground out from around it?"

"What are you talking about?" said Lance as he scratched his head.

"Ask my sister," I said, waving him off. "But yeah, Juno, you're right. It's either they want the Executives' heads more than we thought…"

"Or there's something else in here that they want. Really badly."

We heard another explosion, but this one echoed through the halls; it happened within the base.

"This way!" shouted Lance as we ran towards the sounds of explosions. See, this is why I think Caitlin can do better.

…

"Easy on the explosives, Commander," said Shear, walking through the new doorway Karrgon had made with his arm cannon. "We should be getting close to the center of the base. We wouldn't want to damage the Matrix."

The Commander grunted, and his arm-cannon morphed back into a robot hand. "And if we're lucky, the Rattata won't have fled their nest yet."

"I'm guessing they'll be closest to the core. They're not the type who sticks with their cause till the end, so it's most likely that they'll send a few grunts to hold us back while they escape."

The Commander moved over to the large computer console. He began to type away, and look at the information displayed on the large monitor. "Nothing we need or don't know." She took a turn at it. She gasped when she reached a file marked: _SILVER/MAELSTROM_.

They were tracking him too.

…

Shear rushed alongside the gurney as the medics rushed Agent Gold down the halls of Command.

"Will he be okay?" Shear managed to spit out. She was using borrowed breath, for she had run out of her own.

Gold, lying still with eyes glassed over, was rushed into an operating room. A medic stopped in front of Shear, blocking her path as the door shut.

"I said, will he be okay!?"

"We've managed to stop the bleeding, but…"

"But what!? You medics have one job, and that's to keep us alive!"

The medic straightened her glasses and looked Shear in the eyes, her gaze not waning or looking away in fear, something not many people did to Shear. "Milady, I am aware of the tasks expected from me, and I assure you that at all times I am working at 100% to accomplish those expectations. This is my job, as you've said, and I suggest you let me do it."

She turned, and entered the operating room. The green button on the door panel turned red, indicating that an operation was taking place. The observation window to the left was closed, but Shear didn't leave.

…

The Plasma grunt sighed and stretched his back. He and a group of fifteen others had just finished unloading the giant crate that had been attained on the last mission. "What did we steal, a family of Snorlaxs?"

"What we took it none of your business." The workers recognized the voice of the Lieutenant Karrgon, and turned to salute, but quickly bowed as they realized Karrgon wasn't alone. King Plasma was with him: in person.

"You," said Karrgon to the grunt. He jumped up faster than he had ever done anything before. "Open the crate and remove its contents."

"A-alone?"

"If I knew it would be more than you could handle, do you think I would have told you to do it alone!? Now open it!" The grunt punched a code into the buttons on the side, and the crate opened. Out he pushed the Sarcophagus, drifting on top of a hover pad.

King Plasma slowly moved towards it. The green, upside down triangle mark at the top still glowed brightly. Shaking, the King put his hand on it and slowly moved it down.

"So close…"he said to himself, "Project Genesis…is at last mine. One of the three…"

"Two, my lord. We have yet to complete ours," said Karrgon.

"Yes, right, my Lieutenant." He paused for a moment. "I see before my Castle Team's quarry. Where is yours?"

"Right here, my lord." Karrgon held up a glowing green sphere. The king took it.

"Yes…Project Neo-Phase has begun. Get a top-down scan on both the orb and the Sarcophagus! I want construction to begin on the second one as soon as it is done, and as soon as the scan is done on the Green Orb, I want you to proceed with Phase One of Project Neo-Phase on both it and the Red Orb. Then, test the Red Orb before we use the Green Orb."

"Test on whom, my Lord?"

"Who would be your suggestion?"

"Well, Agent Gold would be most suitable, and we wouldn't even need to subject him to The Purge."

"Why is that?"

"I just got a report from the medics. He is dead."

…...

The observation room window had opened. The outside was stained with several tears, once belonging to Agent Shear. The dreaded moment had come upon her; the moment anyone visiting someone in a hospital dreads to see; the doctor taking off their mask, gesturing to the life support systems, and having them turned off. The one person who had understood her, who considered her good enough was now gone. The universe truly did have a sick sense of humor. She was like a starving Growlithe, who had just seen a leg of meet dangled in front of her on a stick. She had crawled towards it, and just as she was about to reach it, it was yanked away.

Why a food metaphor? Because Shear needed this.

Agent Strella walked up and stood beside her. "He…he's gone, isn't he?" Shear nodded. Strella put a hand on the glass. "So sad…we didn't even get to do finish a mission with him…"

"No," said Shear, her strength returning. "We finished the mission. Just as the King had said; at all costs. And we paid them all." Just them Shear hear a buzz in her ear. She was being given an order in her comm. In all of her training, she had gone over secret code or order she might be given many times, but this one was only gone over once. A straight up directive to do one thing and one thing only.

"I know he meant a lot to you, Shear," said Strella. "And I'm not gonna lie, you've been a stone-cold b****, but…you didn't deserve to have your feeling torn up like that." She handed Shear what seemed to be a round, piece of metal. Shear looked at it; it was the mask of a Stalker. It was a trophy. "I was in the medical chopper with him on the way back. He was going to give it to you himself, but… I'm sorry."

She sighed. "I'm sorry too." She grabbed Strella's throat, and shoved her sword into Strella's gut. Strella twitched a bit, and then slumped down. Shear let her go. The Purge had begun.

A medic ran up to the room, and then stopped to look at her. "Wha-what did you do!?"

"Clean this up!"

"I-I don't have time! I need to prep the operators for the new surgery!"

Shear blinked. "The new what?"

The man grumbled and opened the door. After about a minute, four scientists came down the hallway, pushing a rectangular cart. On top was a sealed glass case. Shear couldn't see what was in it.

She moved to the operating room window, clenching the mask. The window began to once again close. The last thing she saw before the shade had fully extended was a flash of red light.


	37. Chapter 35: Signal Loss

I leapt through the hole in the wall. Team Plasma obviously didn't care if they broke anything.

"If we keep going, we should reach the core," said Lance. I rolled my eyes.

"Genius! Follow the explosions to get to what they're trying to blow up! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Will this might be our best and only chance to capture the Executives and end all of this," said Juno. "Plus, we might even have a crack at the Team Plasma guys!"

I looked down. "Why don't we just focus on Rocket…?"

"What?"

"I mean, Team Plasma is technically doing a good thing here. Getting Team Rocket, I mean. Beside, they're the immediate threat!"

"Really?" Juno put her hands on her hips. "I'd think the people BOMBING THE TOWN ARE A LITTLE MORE DANGEROUS!" She eased up for a moment. "Wait…you need that Cryo-stuff, don't you? Or else you'll…"

"Die? Yeah, pretty much."

"Would someone tell me what's going on here!" shouted Lance.

"I said ask my sister!" I turned back to Juno. "Listen, they probably outnumber and overpower us, but let's get our priorities straight once we see the situation, okay?" She nodded. "I'm not being selfish, Juno. I hate them! It's just…"

"I know what you mean." She turned back to Lance. "Let's go!" We continued down the hallway.

…

"Hurry up, Arianna!" shouted Proton. Arianna was tapping away at the keys on the core. Inside it was the Signal Matrix, which looked like a tube with constant flashing lightning in it. It was being suspended inside the core.

"Listen, unless I can stabilize this thing, we can't take it with us! And if we can't take it with us, I'll have to destroy it!"

"Destroy-wha!? That would set us back so for though!"

"Not as far as being captured!" yelled Arianna. Archer sighed.

"Will you two stop arguing for five seconds? Our base is under attack, and Ghetsis's dogs have our scent. They'll be here any second." He nodded to Arianna. "Better to destroy it than let it fall into their hands. Think, if they secure it, not only will it set us back, but push them forward." Arianna sighed, and punched one button. The blue lightning suspending the tube, as well as the lightning inside of it, turned red. A loud alarm began to blare, as well as flashing red lights.

_WARNING, _said the calm, female computer voice. _CORE STABILITY AT 90% AND DROPPING. FALLOUT IMMINENT._

"Time to go!"

"But-"

"We can create a new one! Besides, scans from outside the building only gave us a partial blueprint. We'll have to go inside to get a good one!" Archer gestured. The Executives began to walk away from the circular, center platform. When they reached the end of the long walkway, it began to retract, leaving only the opposite walkway leading to the core. As they vanished through the door, they saw Shear and Karrgon enter the room.

…

We were already running with a purpose, but when the computer lady started saying we had about ten minutes until the base blew up, that motivated us a bit more.

_WARNING, CORE STABILITY AT 75%. FALLOUT IN 7 MINUTES._

We reached a long, metal pathway, leading to a circular one. We rounded the circular object. Shear and The Commander were jumping onto the retracting platform.

"Hey!" I yelled. They turned.

"Oh, hey Alpha!" said Shear. "Fancy meeting you here. You remember The Commander, right? Good times, back in Celadon City, eh? Hey, where's my brat little sister?"

"Never mind! What's that computer saying about 'fallout'?"

_WARNING, CORE STABILITY AT 60%. FALLOUT IN 6 MINUTES._

"Oh, that? See that thing in the core? We wanted that, but it's junk now. Radioactive junk. It's gonna blow up if the core isn't stabilized in…what did it say last? Six minutes? So, you can go after us, or you can stay back and prevent the town from being re-named Mahogany Crater. Your choice." The turned and left. I growled; we had to do the right thing. I ran over to the console.

"Lance, do you know anything about computers?"

"Ah-"

"Never mind I asked! Juno?" She shrugged. "Hey, when I go on missions, I usually leave the tech stuff to the nerds. I mean Operators."

I growled. I wanted to do as they did in the movies and just start hitting buttons, but this was real. I could speed up the countdown, or worse.

"Well, this thing has to be powered by something, right? If we shut them down, it should render this thing empty."

"If that means destroying stuff, I'm in!" said Lance.

"Same here!" said Juno! We quickly located some ladders leading down, and descended down them. There was saw four, giant tubes, each containing an Electrode. They must be powering the thing.

Lance sent out his Dragonite. "Juno, is your partner Pokémon with you?" She shook her head.

"No, but I can capture one to calm it down. Capture On!" I sent out Quilava.

"Alright, buddy, give me the biggest Flamethrower you've got!" It shot a pillar of flame at the Electrode, but to no avail. Whatever experimental stimulants it was pumped with made it fireproof.

"Ugh, we don't have time!" I shouted in frustration as the computer backed me up.

_WARNING, CORE STABILITY AT 40%. FALLOUT IN FOUR MINUTES._

"Yeah, thanks! Quilava, any more power you have in there, I need!" Quilava took a deep breath, and began to glow. It grew to a much taller, more intimidating form.

_Typhlosion_

_The Volcano Pokémon_

_It has a secret, devastating move. It rubs its blazing fur together to cause huge explosions._

"Well, at least one computer doesn't hate me."

_Don't get ahead of yourself, kid._

"Typhlosion, you got anything new?" Typhlosion's neck burst into flames, as it shot a massive column of fire at Electrode.

_In case you were wondering, that was Eruption._

"I was wondering. Thanks."

_WARNING. CORE STABILITY AT 10%. FALLOUT IN 60 SECONd….ssssss…._

The lights stopped flashing. I walked over to Lance and Juno, who had handled the other three.

"Well…they got away again," I said, bummed out. Lance nodded and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Maybe, but you did the right thing. You saved hundreds of lives. Your sister would be proud. And, hey, maybe those, uh…Team Laser guys got em!"

"It's Team Plasma. And that's kind of dry optimism, don't you think?"

We all laughed. "Let's get out of here."

…

The town was a mess. Smoldering craters dotted the roads. A few houses had begun to catch fire, but were in the process of being put out by Rangers. Smoke rose from multiple areas outside of town. The sky was clear of any ships.

I walked over to my friends, al clustered near the fake tree, which was now bare, revealing nothing but wires and antennae. Wes was treating Nidoqueen and Lapras, while Kelci wrapped a bandage around Celebi's arm and Burgundy sat with an ice pack on her head.

"Everyone okay?" I asked as we walked over.

"A few bumps and scratches, but everyone's okay," said Wes. I snorted.

"How many times am I going to have to hear you say that?"

"What exactly happened?" asked Juno.

"Well, we were holding back the Plasma Grunts-"

**And we showed them who was the boss! **Celebi jumped up, but shrieked and fell back down, clutching her injured arm. And I tell you, if you here a Celebi shriek, you will most likely start crying.

"Easy, Celebi," said Kelci. "We wouldn't want to re-open that wound, now would we?"

"After a while…they just left," said Wes. "The big ship vanished and they left. The air force arrived, but all they could to was chase them off…"

"What were they even after?" asked Burgundy.

"Some…thing." Burgundy rolled her eyes.

"You don't say!"

"I had no idea what it was! What did they call it…a signal Matrix?"

Kelci blinked. "Signal Matrix? Why would they want one of those?"

"You know what that is?"

"Yeah. A signal Matrix basically controls what kind of signal is broadcasted, and at what frequency. The bigger the Matrix and the more powerful the power source, the larger radius it can cover and the more frequencies it can hit. The Radio Tower in Goldenrod has a huge one."

_Radio tower…_ "Guys, I think I know where Team Rocket will be next…I'm not sure why, but I think they want a new signal Matrix. They'll probably go for the Radio Tower next." Kelci laughed.

"They can try! After all of the arrests made today, plus Team Rocket being scattered, they won't have enough guys to take the tower!"

I scratched my head. "Well, you know the tower better than anyone else. I trust you know what you're talking about."

"Plus, I'll be going to Goldenrod soon to visit your sister," said Lance. "If anything happens, the Great and Powerful Dragon Master Lance will be there to save the da-gwah!" He tripped on his cape and fell flat on his face. We all laughed.

"Look at this mess! These new-fangled villains and their fancy flyin' boats! Why, in my day, all we had were propeller-jets! We had to crank up the propeller before flight, and dad-gummit, we liked it that way!" I turned and say an old man walking towards us. He had white hair, wore a blue coat, and walked with a cane. "These darned hoodlums and with their plasma cannons and their ion bombs! Makin' a right mess of my town…" He looked over at us. "You! Are you Team Plastic members!?" He swatted Wes in the head with his cane.

"Ow!" Wes clutched his head. "It's Plasma!"

"Aha!" The old man hit him again. "I caught you red handed, Team Planting!"

"Listen, Old Man, we aren't part of Team Plasma! And, yes, it's Plasma! P-L-A-S-M-A!"

"Bah! I don't need your fancy spellin' I can read, boy, just not without my glasses! I'm callin' the sheriff and turnin' you lot in-"

**Hey, leave my friends alone! **Shakily, Celebi flew over to the old man.

"Well I'll be!" He reached out and touched Celebi's hand. "A real live Celebi! I never thought I'd live to see the day when the world was peaceful enough for you to come back!"

**Well, it still isn't really, but…well, it's a long story.**

The old man straightened up. "Well, if a Celebi decided you lot was good enough, then you're good enough for me! I'm Pryce, the Gym Leader here! Welcome to Mahogany Town!" We looked around at all the destruction.

"Yeah," said Burgundy. "We already got a pretty warm welcome…" Pryce hit her in the head with his cane.

"Ow! Easy on the head…"

"You youngsters need to learn some respect!" He walked over to me. "You, young man, look familiar. Who are you? A member of Team Practice that got captured by Celebi's entourage?"

"It's Team Plasma, you old fart!" Pryce swung his cane at Wes, but Wes dodged it.

"Ha! Missed me-ow!" Pryce came right back.

**Will's my friend too! **Celebi flew onto my shoulder.

Pryce nodded his head towards downtown, the place that had gotten hit the most. "Regardless, there's work that needs to be done. Come with me."


	38. Chapter 36: Intentions

We walked downtown, observing the destruction wrought by Team Plasma's assault. People hurt, crying, homes near destroyed.

"It's our job as able-bodied men and women to help those who can't help themselves," said Pryce, as we walked on. "We're didn't do wrong, but we're gonna make it right."

I nodded. "I agree, Pryce." He turned and studied me for another moment, scratching his chin.

"Are you sure I don't know you?" I shrugged.

"Maybe."

Pryce turned and grunted. "Regardless, there's work to be done. Go find it; it's somewhere."

And so for three days we worked. Repairing houses, accounting for the missing, caring for the wounded. We worked day in and day out. And through the strength of a community pulled together by something terrible, we prevailed.

At dusk around the third day, work had decline to just a few tasks and basic cleanup. Most of my friends had been relieved from their tasks and were sleeping. I worked on. I wiped some sweat off of my brow. My sleeves had been rolled up, as Granbull and I tried to lift a fallen wooden column onto the bed of a lumber truck.

"On three. One…two…three…!" We heaved. Granbull slumped down. He had been working like a machine these past three days.

"Good work, pal. Return." I recalled him to his Pokéball, and went about picking up the smaller pieces of wood myself.

"Maybe I was wrong about what I thought you were, but I still wanna know." I turned to see Pryce approaching. "You've been working very hard these past three days, young man. We all have been."

I grunted as I lifted a chunk of wood. "All I saw you do was yell at people to work faster, Old-Timer," I said jokingly.

"Bah, you won't be laughing when one day the younger generation laughs at you for such. You'll be the one dealing with arthritis." He laughed and walked over to me, preparing to bend down and pick up a small piece of wood. I held out my hands.

"Pryce, I was only kidding! I've got this!" He came back up and handed me the plank.

"Sometimes I like a little ache. Reminds me I'm alive." He moved over to the location I had been enjoying for the past hour or so: a perfect view of the sunset.

"You know…ever since I was a lad, I've known what the right thing was. And this isn't one of those 'It was better back in the day' old-people speeches. It's…a fairly knew one."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I always knew that to be strong, it didn't mean to use that strength to show other people. Whether it be demonstrating you strength, or forcing it. Using strength isn't using it to overshadow the weak. It's to help the weak. For if the strong force themselves to the top, the week people remain sprawled at the bottom. No one can ever become stronger. But if the strong help the weak…we can all reach the top together."

"That's true." I joined him watching the sun set. "Team Plasma may have been getting Rocket out of your town…but for their reasons. And they didn't care how many lives they disrupted in the process. All of the lives that couldn't do a thing about their town being destroyed…"

He turned to me once again. "I'm sure I know you from somewhere…" He snapped his fingers. "I don't know you! I knew your father! Why, I used to live in Unova. I was friends with your Grandfather! Why, you're the spitting image of your old man!" I scratched my head.

"Yeah, I get that a lot…"

"I've lost track of Cassius over the years. How's your mother?"

"Oh, she's good."

"Good, good. And your sisters?"

"I only have one sister, Pryce."

"But…oh, there goes my old-man brain again! I must be thinking of someone else. Regardless, how is your sister?"

"Oh, she's good. Broke 75% of the bones in her body recently, but she's good."

"I don't know how that constitutes 'good' anymore, but…" He checked his watch. "Heavens me, look at the time! 7:30 already! I'd better be going." He turned and began to walk away, but turned back. "If you're looking for a battle, than come to the Gym first thing in the morning. I'll make sure to give you a cold welcome." He walked away, chuckling to himself.

…

I returned to the Pokémon Center, not thinking any less of Pryce's thinking it was late anymore. Over the last three days I've probably only gotten a combined total of five hours of sleep.

Speaking of sleep, Kelci was already snoring on the couch. Burgundy sat in a tank top and shorts, fanning herself with a piece of paper.

"Ugh, Juno is taking _forever _in the shower. I'm having trouble staying awake…"

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and onto the usual table. Well, usual place where the table was. Pokémon Centers are all set up the same, and we usually always hung out at the same circle of couches. "Well, then, go to sleep!"

"I can't go to sleep all sweaty! _Quelled horreur, _how disgusting!" I sat down on the armchair next to Burgundy's couch(she did smell pretty bad.)

"Well, what do you guys wanna do for dinner?"

Kelci groaned. "Too tired to eat…"

"You'd better not be." I turned to see Juno approaching. She had changed into a fresh, new Ranger uniform. It looked almost…dressier, if that was possible.

"The Lake of Rage picnic didn't count! We're going out to eat." I looked at her for a moment, stunned. She was wearing earrings. And…lipstick?

"Don't stare at me, get up and shower! You smell like a garbage truck! Go!"

…

There weren't a lot of businesses open, so we settled for some pizza place. If we didn't count the time when we were at the lake and a giant sea serpent almost killed half the town, than this was my first date.

"So…" I stammered, trying to make small talk. "How, uh…how's the weather?"

She smiled. I'm not sure if she was glad I made the effort, or amused at my squirming. "It's nice, now that it isn't raining bullets."

"If only Kelci could have predicted that one." We both laughed this time. We settled down, and once again looked into each other's eyes.

"You know," said Juno, leaning forward. "It's times like those that you realize how easily you could be wiped off the Earth."

I followed suit. "Yeah. I mean, we almost died like eighteen times in the past month! I'm glad I get to spend the time I have…with good people."

_Come on, go for it! _Shouted Aria.

And so I did.

And so right before I would have, rain came pouring down.

"Are you kidding me!?" The universe might as well have waited until right after I made the weather remark, and then said **RAIN, YOU SAY!? **You know, if Arceus really does exist, he must be having a pretty good laugh right now…

We walked back to the Pokémon Center in the pouring rain. We tried our best to wring out our wet clothes when we got back.

"You know," said Juno, twisting her ponytail to get some water out. "Nature seems dead set on preventing us from having a moment, or at least killing us in the process." As the water dripped from her hair, some of the silver dye came off. I noticed her hair was brown, almost the same shade as mine. Jeez, the universe gives me the girl who is similar to me and Arceus-knows how many ways, and just keeps teasing me like this!

"Well, that sucked. And we barely got to eat…" Juno socked me in the arm.

"Ow! I had fun being with you, though."

…

"The 1-on-1 battle between Pryce of Mahogany Town and William of Viridian City shall now begin!" Pryce wasn't kidding about the whole 'cold welcome' thing. His Gym was made of ice.

"Piloswine, show this youngster we mean business!" I furry pile of, well, swine, entered the field.

"Okay, I actually want to know what this one is," I said as I took our Dex.

_Oh, look who cam crawling back!_

"Just do your job!"

_Piloswine_

_The Swine Pokémon_

_If it charges at an enemy, the hairs on its back stand up straight. It is very sensitive to sound._

"Okay, Typhlosion, this should be an easy one!" Typhlosion roared, and it's neck-quills burst into flames.

"Assuming victory already, are we?" Pryce slammed his cane on the ground. "Doing so has forfeited you of the right to attack first! Piloswine, Rollout!"

Technically, the challenger always has the right to attack first, and a violation of such rule would forfeit the battle to me. The ref looked at me, and I just waved him off. I'd let Pryce have his bone.

"Typhlosion, send it all the way back! Dynamic Punch!" Typhlosion's arm glowed bright white, and jabbed Piloswine as it came rolling towards it. But, on the ice, there was no traction. Typhlosion was sent back into the wall.

"Aha! See, youngster, never assume anything!"

**Go Typhlosion! **Shouted Celebi from the sidelines, fluttering her little wings.

Typhlosion nodded. "Let's do this for Celebi, okay buddy? Eruption!" A massive column of flame exited Typhlosion's maw.

"Piloswine, Blizzard!" Pryce might as well have thrown a warm stick of butter at a hot knife. The battle was over.

"Piloswine is unable to battle! The victory goes to Typhlosion and the battle to William."

I walked(slid would be a better term) to Pryce to receive my badge.

"Well, kid, you earned it. The Glacier Badge!" I added the shiny new addition to my badge case.

"Any advice on where to go, Pryce? There turned out to be a shortcut here."

"Bah, you youngsters! Always looking for the easy way! You're gonna have to walk up Route 44 and through the Ice Path like everyone else!" We both laughed. Pryce's eye sparkled. "You know, I'd catch a Pokémon or two in there. They might come in handy at Blackthorn City."


	39. Chapter 37:-In a Candy Store

**He said 'Ice' Path, right? I heard Ice Path?**

"Yes," said Burgundy for the millionth time. "He said Ice Path."

**Really? Not Forest Path, or Warm Pleasant Path, or Pretty Rocks and Crystals Path…?**

"No!" we all yelled in unison.

**At this point, I'd even settle for a regular Rock Path…**

"Celebi, you can just stay in my backpack if you want."

**EW! No way! It's stinky in there!**

"I bought more candy…"

**Yay, candy!**

She flew to my backpack and struggled with the zipper.

"Easy Celebi," said Kelci, giggling as Celebi tried to open my pack to get her prize. "We've still got a way's to go until we reach the Ice Path."

**I…want…the candy…now!**

She finally got the strap zipper open, and candy bars strewn all over the ground.

"Great, Celebi! Guess who has to pick it up now!"

She zipped back and forth, gathering up all of the chocolate in her arms. Once there was only one left, she went to go get it, but a Rattata snagged it, and disappeared into the bushes.

**Oh no!**

"Don't worry, Celebi. You've got double your body weight in chocolate left."

Wes chuckled. "If she eats it all it'll have been half her body weight…" We all laughed.

"You know…we haven't caught any Pokémon in a while. Why don't we take a little break and do that! I mean, we only have one Gym left and not too long until the Johto League. Plus, there's a psychopathic monster rampaging through the country...this could be our last chance to just mess around in Johto!"

And so we decided to split up and meet back at that spot in an hour.

…

I walked through a small grove of trees, looking for a possible candidate for catching. I saw a few Pidgey in a tree(made sure to stay away from those) but other than that, nothing. All of a sudden, I heard a rustle, and the sound of something splashing around. I looked up. A large blue beetle Pokémon was stuffing it's face with honey from a tree

_Heracross_

_The Singlehorn Pokémon_

_No matter how heavy its opponents, it flings them far away with its prized horn._

I took out Dratini's Pokéball, preparing to battle. But then Heracross stopped eating. At first, I thought it had detected me, but I began to hear a low buzz. Heracross flipped off of the tree and took off down the path. I looked up. Swarms of angry Beedrill were approaching.

I took off down the path after Heracross.

**Wait for me! **Cried Celebi as she took off as well.

…

"Ow!" Burgundy was hit in the face by a branch she had bent back to try and pass through. She rubbed her cheek.

"Why didn't I learn my lesson from that stupid scavenger hunt…never go into the woods ever again ever." She looked forward; her path was blocked by a thicket of thorns.

"You know what forest! I'm not going any further! I'm going back to where you can't hurt me, and-" Something latched onto her face.

She screamed, but it was muffled by the glove-like thing on her head.

"Aipom ai!" she heard.

She fell back-into the thorn bush. She looked up and saw the purple monkey-like Pokémon dancing with glee.

"Oh, go to hell!" She threw the nearest object at it. Unfortunately, it was a Pokéball that had fallen from her pocket. Even more unfortunate, it caught the Pokémon.

She struggled up. "Well," she said as she picked up the ball. "Looks like I'm stuck with you forever now…" Apparently, a thorn had found away into her shoe, and when she took a step forward…

…

The flock of sleeping Hoothoot, one of which Wes was preparing to catch, were all scared away from the mighty shriek let loose from somewhere else in the forest.

He cursed. "I hope whatever caused that is in a lot of pain right now…"

…

After that enormous shriek, the swarms of Beedrill scattered. I had finally caught up to Heracross, and the two of us stopped and began panting.

"That…was insane…I don't even know you…and you've gotten me into so much trouble already…"

Heracross's emotions told me it was feeling the same.

"What do you mean I got _you _into trouble!?"

Heracross jumped back, astonished. "Oh, right. I can read Pokémon's emotions."

Heracross was still confused. "Listen, it's a long story, pal." I held out a Pokéball. "You know, I'll have time to tell you. If you join my team, that is."

Heracross, although extremely overwhelmed, felt that it could have so many more adventures with me. I tapped it with my Pokéball, and it went willingly.

…

Kelci was kneeling down near a bush, after she had seen a Rattata scurry underneath. She sighed and sat down. Her feet were killing her. She shifted in position; the stump she had sat on was rather…soft. And squishy.

She looked down. She'd never seen a pink tree before, so a pink stump makes no sense…unless it was a Jigglypuff she had just sat on. Kelci held back a squeal; she had always wanted a Jigglypuff. She sent out Elekid. Luckily, the Jigglypuff was asleep, so it would be easier to catch. She held out her Pokéball, and ever so slowly moved it forward…

When a shriek pierced the air. The Jigglypuff's eyes shot open, and it blasted Kelci back with a Hyper Voice.

"Elekid…"she said in a daze. "Thundershock…if you'd please…"

Elekid let loose a Thundershock, but it wasn't enough. Jigglypuff rolled into it with Rollout.

Kelci sat up and rubbed her forehead. "Come on, Elekid, you can do it…"

Elekid got back up, and began to glow. It grew, and a tail split out from it as it did.

"Tabuzz!" said the new Pokémon.

"Wow! You evolved into Electabuzz! Let's see how Thunderpunch works now…"

Jigglypuff began to back up slowly as Electabuzz approached. It broke into a full on sprint, but it couldn't escape Electabuzz's long reach. It was sent flying into a tree, unconscious. Kelci claimed her prize.

…

We all returned to the meadow, all in different conditions. I was winded from the chase, Wes was depressed he didn't catch anything, Burgundy was covered in dirt and thorns, and Kelci seemed pretty pleased with herself.

Burgundy sent out her new Pokémon, and Aipom. She sat down, careful not to poke herself with any of her passengers from the thorn bush. "Alright, you darn dirty ape! This was your fault, so you're gonna get all of these thorns out of my hair!" Aipom hopped onto her shoulders and got to work; picking small objects out of fur was its specialty.

"Well, the sun's setting," said Wes. "We might as well set up camp." He got to work, albeit a bit depressed. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, buddy, you'll get one soon. I know it. Today just wasn't your day, that's all!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, I might be able to catch a _cool _Pokémon in the Ice Path tomorrow!" We were both silent for a moment.

"Go home, Wes."

We broke out laughing.

…

"Alright you darn procrastinator, you ready to actually learn Neural Shock now!?" Aria approached me in the Dream Shrine.

"Hey, I've been busy!"

"Too busy to learn how to break free from your trigger phrase?" I stopped; in a similar fashion to if she had almost actually said the words.

"This will set me free?"

She smiled, knowing that she now had my attention, and began to pace. "This will set you on the path to learning how." She stopped and faced me. She put the index finger and middle finger of her right hand together, and thrust them out. I saw their tips spark.

"Neural Shock is the technique of accessing one's nervous system…and doing whatever you want with it. You could make them feel the pain of a thousand suns, or even use it to make yourself numb and immune to pain. It can wreak havoc with technology, and when coupled with your Omnipresence, can be used to make you invisible to heat sensors."

"That's sweet and all, but how does this link to me freeing myself?"

"Imagine your nervous system as a river, flowing through your mind and body."

I was puzzled. "My mind?"

"Didn't you take science classes in the FIRST GRADE!? Pain doesn't exist! It's a trick your mind plays on you to tell you that something is dangerous; that something should be avoided. The river links to your mind, and flows back to your body. An endless loop. Team Plasma put a dam in that river; it holds back what they want held back and lets go only what they want let go. Once you understand the inner-works of a nervous system, you can burst that dam."

She took a ready stance. "Now, let's begin…"

…

"Will wake up…wake up…come on, stop faking it!" Kelci kicked me one more time in the ribs.

"Ow! What was that for!?"

"You took it, didn't you?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Took what?"

"One of my…none of your business …"

I knew what she was talking about. "What ?"

"Did you take them or not!"

"Kelci, I have no idea what you're even talking about! And why would I get up in the middle of the night to steal your stuff!"

"Well, good point, but-"

We heard a shrill cackle, and looked up. On a high branch sat a slim, black Pokémon, clutching a…I couldn't really tell.

"Dex, would you mind?"

Dex yawned. _It's early though…_

"Yeah, but…did you just yawn?"

_Yeah. So?_

"Do computers yawn?"

_I don't see the problem. Humans yawn during their startup._

"I'm not technically a human…"

_Beside the point._

Kelci cleared her throat.

_You need to invest in more polite friends the, Willy._

_Sneasel_

_The Sharp Claw Pokémon_

_A smart and sneaky Pokémon, it makes its opponents flinch by suddenly showing the claws hidden in its paws._

"Never call me that ever again," I said, putting Dex away.

"Well!" cried Kelci. "Don't just lie there! Do something!"

I sighed. "Celebi?"

**On it!**

Celebi drifted up, and tried to grab the target item. Sneasel blew some Icy Wind into her face. She fell, clutching her head.

**Eep! I hate ice!**

I ran to grab Celebi as she fell. I looked up, just to see Sneasel en route to the Ice Path.


	40. Chapter 38: In Search of the Thing

I felt a cold breeze as we approached the Ice Path. Celebi wasted no time in retreating to my backpack.

I zipped up my jacket all the way. We entered the Ice Path. It wasn't so bad at first, but then it felt like I had just walked into a freezer in deep space. I sent out Typhlosion to warm us up, but even it started to shiver after a while.

"W-w-w-where is that s-s-s-tup-p-pid Sneasel," said Kelci through her teeth chattering.

"Nub!" We all looked down. A small, lump of fur blocked our path.

"Dex?" I waited for a rude response. "Dex, you there?" I took out my Pokédex. "I don't believe this!" The circuits were frozen.

"I t-t-t-t-hink this is a Swinub," said Wes. "The pre-evolution of Piloswine."

Kelci knelt down. "Hi, Swinub!"

"Nub!"

"I'm Kelci! This is, Will, Wes, and Burgundy. Oh, and Celebi. Say hi, Celebi!"

**No way! I'm staying in here where there's warmth to be felt and chocolate to be eaten!**

"Nub!" Swinub ran a happy little circle around Wes. I winked at him.

"See? I told you you'd find one soon!" He picked the little guy up.

"I guess so!" Kelci yanked him from Wes's hands.

"I'm not finished with him yet! I mean…Swinub, can you show me where Sneasel is?"

"Nub!" Swinub turned and began to scurry away. As it went ahead of us, we noticed scars on its back.

Kelci stomped her foot(and almost slipped and fell on her rear). "I've had it up to here with that Sneasel! Come on, guys!" She took a commanding lead, but slipped and fell for real this time.

…

"Nub nub!" Swinub had lead us across a frozen lake, to a massive frozen waterfall. It gestured up with its nose. On a frozen ledge sat Sneasel, in its nest of stolen treasures.

"Oh, just wait till I get up there!" Kelci tried to climb the frozen water, but to no avail. She fell, and wiped away some frost from the waterfall, revealing what was inside it.

"Whoa," I said, stepping forward to get a closer look. Inside was a perfectly preserved Kabutops, as well as two Omastar.

"Amanda would have a field day in here…" I said as I touched the ice. They looked like they were just walking through a cave-or whatever this used to be when, BAM!, frozen! In fact, if they thawed out(if they were still alive) I bet they wouldn't even notice millions of years have passed.

I shook my head, clearing it of all dinosaur thoughts. I'd give Amanda a call later. Right now, Sneasel was my main focus.

"Wait Kelci," said Wes. "What did it even take?"

"My…erm…_delicates_…"

I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Hey, Sneasel!" It looked down to me and stuck out its tongue. "Come down here or Typhlosion'l make you!"

It peeled the bottom of its eyelid down and wiggled its tongue anime style. "Okay then, have it your way! Typhlosion, Eruption!" Typhlosion used Eruption, and Sneasel jumped back as the front of its ledge was melted. Various knick-knacks rained down on us, but not Kelci's…private things.

"Ah…" said Burgundy, enjoying the temporary moment of heat. "Will, let me know when Typhlosion is about to do that again…I want to stand closer."

"I wouldn't recommend that," said Wes. "Just because it's cold doesn't mean you can't burst into flames."

Burgundy gulped and stood back a few feet. "Okay," I said. "Once more time, Typhlosion…" I waited to get a reaction out of Sneasel.

"One…two…three…" I heard a shriek, and all of a sudden Kelci's treasure came drifting down. She caught it. We all looked, and her face turned red.

"Kelci…it's just a pair of socks…"

"I know, but…they're pink with little sparkles, and, I don't know I'm just really self-conscious about what I wear sometimes…"

Burgundy looked like she was going to melt the whole cave. "You mean to tell me…that you dragged us all the way down here…FOR A PAIR OF SOCKS!?"

"Hey, my sister gave these to me on my birthday. Right before she ran away and-" she choked.

I wrapped my arm around hers. "Come on, let's go."

I heard a shriek, then a CLUNK! I turned to see that Sneasel had slipped and fallen from its perch. It stumbled around, dazed. I took out a Pokéball. "Oh, I'm not through with you, pal." I caught it.

"Okay, now we can go."

We left, but that wasn't all in terms of strange things happening in the Ice Path that day. A puddle of hot water had gathered under the ledge that Typhlosion had melted. It slowly spread, until it reached the frozen waterfall. Once it made contact, there was a hiss, and a cloud of steam rose. And then all was silent. And a small crack began to slowly spread…

…

Burgundy sighed as we stepped into the sunlight, which made all the difference temperature wise. She fell on her back and spread her arms and legs out, as if making a snow angle.

"This feels so nice…can we just lie here and take a nap?"

Kelci rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not. Last time I fell asleep in the woods…"

"Well, Will caught the Sneasel, so it can't steal your stuff anymore."

"True, true…I guess it's alright."

The sun _did _feel alright. I picked a nice spot on the ground, tucked the front of my hat over my eyes, and fell asleep.

…

When I woke up, the sun was setting. All of my friends were asleep, so I got up and decided to take a walk. I walked until I reached a cliff, which had a steep drop to a rocky area bellow, and a river. It wrapped around the back of Blackthorn City. I sat down to enjoy the nice view.

There was a flash and a pop, and I saw Dratini curl up on my lap. I pet it.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while." It purred and looked up. I followed its gaze and saw a cave behind Blackthorn City.

"You want to go in there?" It felt eager. I pat it on the head.

"Maybe tomorrow. I'll see what the deal is with my Gym battle, and then we'll decide. But we're in no rush.

**Yup, time is on your side! **Celebi flew out of my backpack. I had forgotten she was in there. She hovered in front of me. Chocolate was all over her face. I laughed.

**What's so funny!?**

"Remind me to stock my backpack with napkins when we go into town!" She checked her reflection in a puddle and furiously began to scrub her face. Dratini and I laughed more.

Celebi put her hands on her hips. **I take back everything I said about you being a gentleman! You never laugh at a lady, ever!**

I wrapped my arm around her. "I'm just kidding, Celebi."

**Alright…I'll let it slide this time…but next time, I will destroy you.**

…

_INQUIRY: WHY TO YOU PROWL THESE HALLS SO, MASTER!? WHY ARE YOU NOT IN YOUR USUAL STATE; MORE THAN WILLING TO LIQUIDATE ORGANIC TROUBLEMAKERS._

Shear continued to walk. "You wouldn't understand, HK."

_REBUTTLE: OH, BUT I DO, MASTER. I LAST CALCULATED THAT I COULD ELIMINATE THE ORGANIC MEATBAG CLASSIFIED "ALPHA" WITH 65% ACCURACY AND SUCCESS. WITHIN TEAM PLASAMA PROTOCOLS, THAT WOULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE MARGIN TO ACT ON AND-_

"If he were named _Alpha_, then why would we want to kill him!?"

_REVELATION: I AM SORRY MASTER. IF HE IS CURRENTLY IMPARATIVE TO OUR FUNCTIONS, I WILL MOVE HIM FURTHER BACK ON MY LIST._

Shear grunted and continued to the science ward of Command. She was supposed to oversee something important. Two guards stopped her.

"Move out of the way!"

"I'm sorry, milady," said one of the guards. "We can't let anyone in right now."

"I order you to step aside!"

"Funny," said one, turning to the other. "We just got orders to stay put."

"By who!?"

"The King."

Shear clenched her fist. "Fine. Enjoy your moment of triumph." One held up his hand and pressed against the comm in his ear.

"Uh huh, yep…alright."

"What was that?"

"You can go in. But be very quiet." They stepped aside, and the door swung open. Shear walked in. Complex machinery lined the walls and work stations. Scientist usually went about their work here, but they seemed…well, not here.

She continued on. At the far end, in a techy chair, sat King Plasma. Shear would've bowed, but he had some sort of helmet on that covered his entire head. Wire connected it to various monitors and computers around him. Four scientists, one on each computer panel, worked around him.

One looked up and walked over. "Agent Shear, I'm glad you've come. Our Lord is undergoing a very delicate, very important, and very _experimental _procedure right now. And I know we're in the most secure facility on the Earth, but protocol is protocol. We can't risk anything, so you're just going to wait here until the procedure is done."

Shear tapped her foot. "What exactly _is _the procedure."

The scientist smiled. "The very fruits of your labors five years ago coming into full effect. After what we learned following the Maelstrom Incident, we can finally perform this correctly." That didn't sound too assuring.

"Did you work out all of the bugs?"

The scientist scratched his head. "Not exactly, but we've increased the odds of it succeeding exponentially. We could've waited longer and improved it further , but the King was adamant on having all possible steps of Project Genesis and Neo-Phase complete by the time the rest of the phases are open to us."

"Why aren't they now?"

"Simply put: Maelstrom. He must be eliminated if we are to proceed." The scientist looked over his shoulder as he was called.

"Colress, we're ready. _She _is ready." Colress turned back to Shear. "I must be gone." He went back to his work station. With nothing left to do, Shear walked over to the nearest wall, leaned up against it, and nodded off.


	41. Chapter 39: Dragons vs Dinosaurs

"Well, Blackthorn City is…a little less impressive than I thought it'd be," said Burgundy, kicking a small rock.

"Come on, it has so much natural beauty!" Kelci looked up at the sky. "I mean, it's all built on this rocky climate. It looked so cool from the distance."

"Yeah…well, I do hate noisy cities."

"I take offense to that," I said.

"I mean, Viridian City is pretty awesome, but all of the other ones…"

We stopped at the Pokémon Center. As I healed up my Pokémon, I began to talk to the nurse behind the counter.

"So, what can you tell me about the Gym here?"

She smiled. "I'd be delighted to tell you all I know of it. The Gym Leader's name is Clair, and-"

I slammed my hands down on the table. "Wait…blue hair? Leotard? Cape?"

"Uh, yes…"

I slammed my head down repeatedly on the counter. "Uh, are you okay…?"

Clair was Lance's sister. And if she was anything like "The Fantabulous Dragon Master of Infinity and Beyond" or whatever he called himself, I was in a lot of trouble.

"I know she lived in Blackthorn City, just not _this _Blackthorn City…"

The Nurse looked up and beamed. "Claire, so nice to see you!" I spun around; Clair was approaching. I had never actually met her before, but I had seen pictures of her.

"Hello Clair," said the nurse. "What can I do for you today?"

Clair put a few Pokéballs on the counter. "I just finished my last challenger for the day."

"Oh, really? How'd it go?"

"Twelve victories in a row."

I gasped. Twelve!? This chick was gonna be tough to beat…She looked down at me.

"I assume you're here to challenge my Gym?"

I nodded. "Yeah…uh, I'm William Grey from Viridian City…"

Her eyes widened. "Are you…per chance…related to Caitlin Grey from Viridian City…?"

I nodded. "Brother and sister."

She slammed her head down on the counter in the same fashion I did.

"Ugh…listen, id, I've tried dealing with your sister in the past…"

"Same goes here with your brother…"

"Yeah, well, this is different! You'd better not be as lazy as she is, because if you want to challenge my Gym, you'll have to take the challenge of the cave like everyone else!"

I was taken by surprise. "Excuse me!? League rules state that any challenger can challenge any Gym, under any circumstance! The only thing you can change about that is the time or location!"

"My Gym, my rules!"

"Not your League, ergo, not your rules!"

"Easy, easy!" The nurse waved us back. "Clair, you have been doing this for a while. Your brother is very close with the League. Why not call him and ask him?"

Clair grumbled and took out her Pokégear. I chuckled to myself. For such a tough girl, I wouldn't imagine her using a pink phone.

"Yeah…yeah, it's me Lance…yeah, I'm fine, I…I told you not to call me that! Ugh, whatever…anyway, some kid is saying I can't to the Dragon Test, and…yeah, I know you told me not to Lance, but it's my…what!? You wouldn't…fine! You know what, fine!" She shut her phone and stomped her feet like a little kid.

"He's always ruining everything! Grandma!" She stomped out of the Pokémon Center. Rules win again!

…

"Like I said, it's better than an average city," said Burgundy. We were walking back to the Pokémon Center after eating dinner. "No smells, no noise, a nice view of the stars…"

"Pretty lights, lots of people, never gets boring," I began to rocket off counterpoints.

"Yeah well-" A massive explosion rocked the town. We looked towards the massive cloud of dust rising, around where we had entered town.

I looked at Burgundy. "I've got one more. _That _never happens back home!"

"Come on!" yelled Wes as he ran forward.

"Why are we running towards it!?" cried Kelci.

We ran through the crowds of people running away. When we neared the bridge, a Pokémon emerged from the cloud of dust. It was a Kabutops.

"No way…I thought those were extinct…"

Burgundy gasped. "Apparently not! Remember the cave…?"

They all immediately looked at me. I shrugged. "What!? How was I supposed to know they'd get out!?"

The Kabutops looked around as it stepped forward. It's emotions were hard to read, but…it was confused. Hurt, almost.

**It doesn't belong in this time! It doesn't even know what time it is!**

Burgundy checked her watch. "9:30."

**Not what I meant! This place used to be its home, but then I'm guessing it got frozen somehow. It had a family, a home here…but now that's all gone…And be careful. My guess is that it doesn't know what a human-**

It charged forward, razor-claws ready.

**-is…**

"Dragonair, Dragon Rage!" It was knocked back by a blast of orange energy. A long, blue snake like creature curled up around me as Kabutops readied a Hydro Pump.

"Protect!" shouted Clair, and suddenly I was enveloped in a blue energy veil that blocked the blast. Dragonaire uncurled from around me.

"Thanks," I said, brushing myself off.

"Well, you did ruin my system, but I am supposed to protect everyone in this town."

"Well, it's good that we're kinda getting along now. We could be related one day, after all."

We were both silent for a moment. We awkwardly turned back towards the battle.

"Got any Dragon-Types?"

I nodded. "Dratini, c'mon out!" Standing side-by-side, Dratini and Dragonaire looked like younger and older Pokémon of the same species.

"Dragonair, one more Dragon Rage!" commanded Clair.

"Dratini, Water Pulse!" The two attacks converged on Kabutops, and it fell over the cliff. We heard a splash. We all looked over the edge. Kabutops was making its out of the water, but it wasn't alone this time. The two Omastar were flanking it this time, a bit sluggish from just waking up after a couple eons-long nap.

Celebi shook her head. **This isn't right. This isn't fair to them.**

"Can't you bring them back to their time?" asked Kelci. "You are the Time-Travel Pokémon, after all."

_I can verify that, _said Dex.

**True, true…but this is a trip spanning millions of years we're talking about here. I'd need use of my shrine. And, you know…**

I nodded. "Until we deal with that, what do we do about the dinosaurs?"

**Well, I'd say have a Ranger pacify it, but we don't have any of those. They never seem to be around when we really need them. Does that happen often?**

"Yes." I looked over at my friends. "Could one of you run back to the Pokémon Center and have them call a detachment of Rangers and something to contain about three prehistoric monsters?" Burgundy nodded and took off.

"So," I clapped my hands together and looked at Clair. "Ideas?"

"We knock em out and wait for the Rangers to arrive." She hopped on Dragonair. She looked at me, and sighed. "Hop on…" I jumped on behind her, and Dratini wrapped around my arm.

"Want me to, like, grab on to Dragonaire, or-"

She growled. "Wrap your arms around my waist…"

"Hey, this is only weird because you're making it weird!" We took off before I could get another word out. My hat flew off of my head. We flew outside of Blackthorn City, and circled back around. We landed in the river bed, a few feet away from the ancient Pokémon.

"Wait," I said as I hopped off. I took a quick few snapshots of the Pokémon. "Amanda's gonna flip her stuff when she sees these…" Unfortunately, I did not know this was supposed to by a surprise attack, and the flash from my camera took away the surprise part.

Clair sighed. "I hate Greys."

I turned back. "Okay, guys, I-" There were now two Dragonaires. "How come I miss everything!?"

An Omastar lunged. My Dragonaire used Aqua Tail, a new move, and knocked it back into the wall. It curled back into its shell. Kabutops looked at the other one and yelled at it. It lunged forward too, and Kabutops hung back, waiting.

Clair got to this one before me. "Dragonair, Hyper Beam." She shot it right out of the air.

"Great," I cheered. "But where's-"

I looked up as I saw a blur on the canyon wall. Kabutops was crawling along it like an Ariados, with incredible speed.

"Smart girl…" I said under my breath, applying an appropriate movie quote. Suddenly, it flipped off of the wall, its blades aimed for Clair's neck. I though fast. More accurately, I didn't think at all. Next thing I know, my fist was in its chin.

Sadly, the first thought I had after doing so was: "…am I punching a dinosaur?" The second one was a wave of immense pain as my knuckle shattered.

Fortunately, this stunned Kabutops long enough for my Dragonair to get off one last Aqua Tail to finish it.


	42. Chapter 40: In the Face!

**I'm feelin' really good today, and I'm pretty far ahead chapters wise, so, eh, why not!? Doublein' it up today! Enjoy!**

**-TrainerNaps**

"Yep, it's definitely broken," said Nurse Joy as she examined my knuckle.

"William Grey," said Burgundy, hands on her hips. "That was the dumbest thing you have done in my entire knowledge of your existence."

"Yeah, but you gotta admit, that was pretty cool," said Wes.

"Well, at least I can cross 'Punch a Dinosaur in the Face' off my bucket list," I said, trying to ignore the pain. "When will this fully heal?"

"Well, considering your punched a dinosaur in the face, I'd say three to four months." I groaned. That would be a huge hamper in my progress.

**Wait! Lemmie see! **Celebi drifted over to me. She held her hands a few inches above my broken hand, and they began to glow. She quickly pressed her hands down on mine. After a brief flash of pain, I felt a soothing sensation, like cool water was flowing through my veins. I flexed my fingers.

"Wow, good as new! Thanks, Celebi!" She giggled

**No problem. Just do me a favor next time you decide to punch a dinosaur in the face; wear boxing gloves!**

"Well, Grey, looks like I was wrong about you," said Claire, walking over to me. "Your sister would never have the energy to punch a dinosaur in the face."

Burgundy growled. "Would you guys stop saying that!?"

I grinned at Claire. "You'd be surprised, I assure you."

"Well, I think you've done enough for that to count as your trial, so I will allow you to face me now…"

"Which I would've been able to do anyway, but go on."

She clenched her teethe for the next part. "So, whenever you would like to battle me, I will accept…"

"Right now is cool."

She blinked. 'Really? You don't wanna…rest or prepare or anything…?"

I flexed my hand one more time. "Nah, that's cool. We can do it right now."

…

"The Gym battle between Claire of Blackthorn City and William of Viridian City shall now begin!"

"Okay, Grey, you've proven that you can punch a dinosaur in the face-"

"Seriously!?" yelled Burgundy.

"-but can you handle the power of my dragons? Gyarados, show him your wrath!"

"Pft, a regular Gyarados?"

She blinked, confused. "Eh? You're not…intimidated?" She came to her senses. "Hey, whoa, wait! What do you mean _regular_!? This is as ferocious as any other Gyarados-"

"I've seen worse. In fact, your brother caught it. It's red and it's, like, crazy powerful and-"

She stomped her foot and screamed again. "How come he always gets the good stuff!?"

I stood there for a moment. "Uh…want me to send out my Pokémon or-"

"Yes!"

"Okay…Flaffy, let's go…" Compared to Gyarados, Flaffy's size and appearance were almost laughable, but I knew what it was capable of.

"Okay, I get first move! Flaffy, use Thunderbolt…or…evolve…that's cool too…" Flaffy began to glow and grow. When it emerged, it was taller and yellow. Most of its wool was gone.

_Ampharos_

_The Light Pokémon_

_The tip of its tail shines so brightly it can be used to send sea-navigation beacons to distant foreign shores._

I looked over at the ref. "Does that count as a turn?" He shook his head. "Okay then, Ampharos, use Thunderpunch!" Ampharos charged its fist with electric energy, and dashed at Gyarados. It leapt, and punched it right in the face(just like I did with the dinosaur. See, Burgundy can't yell at me in my mind). Gyarados swayed, and Ampharos landed on the ground.

"Gyarados, Crunch!" Gyarados slithered towards Ampharos.

"Ampharos, Flash!" I covered my eyes as a searing bright light covered the battlefield. When it faded, Ampharos was gone. Gyarados looked frantically, until it finally found Ampharos…on its back.

"Now, Thunder!" At point blank range, I might as well have set off a nuke. Gyarados was finished.

"Gyarados is unable to battle. The victory goes to Ampharos!"

Claire sent out her next Pokémon. "Dragonair, avenge Gyarados!"

"Ampharos, return." I returned Ampharos to its ball. Claire looked confused again.

"But…"

I was getting fed up with her "My Gym I Do Whatever I Want" attitude.

"Leaguerulesstatethatthechall engercanswitchPokemonwheneve rtheywantatanypointinthebatt leIchooseyouSneaselgo!" I could tell both Claire and Kelci were a little grumpy now.

"Dragonair, Headbutt!" Dragonair lunged at Sneasel, but it was too small and nimble. It leapt up onto Dragonair's back and ran up in like a sidewalk.

"Sneasel, Ice Shard!" Sneasel leapt off of Dragonair's body and shot a shard of ice into its back. It fell, half frozen to the ground.

"Now, Fury Swipes!" Sneasel casually walked to the front of Dragonair and gloated in its face. "That's enough, Sneasel," I yelled. "Just do Fury Swipes!" It did. Very slowly, gloating after each swipe.

"Enough! Dragonair, Flamethrower!" Sneasel was blasted back by the power of Flamethrower. I sighed.

"That's what you get, Sneasel. Now get back up!" Sneasel slowly got to its feet.

"Now, Ice Shard!" It shot another one at Dragonair, hitting it I the face(like how I punched the dinosaur!) Dragonair looked enraged. It thrashed about, and freed itself from the ice.

"Aqua Tail!"

"Sneasel, jump!" Sneasel jumped in time, but was tripped by Dragonair's tail. The tail was slammed down on Sneasel to finish the job.

"Sneasel is unable to battle! The victory goes to Dragonair!"

"Speaking of Dragonair," I said under my breath as I drew my next Pokéball.

"Dragonair, I choose you!"

"Draa!" Dragonair was ready for battle. "Dragonair, Hyper Beam!" She charged up the attack, and fired at Claire's. It was to injured to avoid it.

"Uh…Dragonair is unable to battle. The victory goes to…Dragonair."

Clair laughed as she drew her next Pokéball. "I'm impressed, Grey. No one has made me have to use this final Pokémon on their first try in a while. I am impressed." She smirked. "Unfortunately, that doesn't net you the badge. Dragonite, go!"

I recognized Dragonite instantly. Who wouldn't? They can have such kindly appearances when they're happy, and not so much when they're mad. And they're got the power to back it up.

"Dragonite, Ice Punch!" It was too fast for Dragonair to dodge. She was sent rolling, almost to my feet.

"Draa…" she said weakly. I smiled and knelt down.

"Don't worry. I have a plan."

**You can do it Will! **Shouted Celebi. Although she was in the stands, I could hear her just as well in my mind, so the yelling was pointless.

"Dragonair, Wrap!"

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" Just as I had hoped. Dragonair managed to narrowly dodge the attack, and now Dragonite was momentarily stunned from the Hyper Beam. Dragonair wrapped around Dragonite, constricting one of its arms and its wings, and throwing it was off balance.

"Ah!" Claire was thrown off guard as well by my strategy. My guess was that everyone else had either tried to bide their time and stay at a distance, which allowed Dragonite to pick them off, or tried a direct approach, which was dumb. Though no approach could have been more direct(or more dumb) than mine. Yet, so beautiful.

"Dragonite…do something!" Dragonite squirmed, but to no avail Dragonair held tight. And then I got an even better idea.

"Dragonair, wrap around its arm." I smirked. "You know what to do." Dragonair wrapped its arm up, and as it tried to struggle, it made my plan all the better. Dragonair guided all of its to be punches…right into its face.

"Dragonite, Ice Punch!" At this point, Clair was either desperate, or really wanted me to win. Dragonair guided the final Punch-the winning punch-right into its face.

…

On the way back to the Pokémon Center, after receiving the Rising Badge, I decided to sing a little song of my creation on the way, Celebi aiding me with the non-word lyrics:

_"I've got a love-el-ly bunch of Gym bad-ges!"_

**Doo-doo-doo!**

_"Look at them sitting in my case!"_

**Doo-doo-doo-doo!**

_"Round ones, square ones, some the shape of your head! Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said!"_

**Again!**

_"I've got-"_

"Enough!" cried Wes and Burgundy.

Kelci giggled. "I thought it was kinda catchy!"

Burgundy sighed. "It only gave me a minor migraine, and might I stress the word minor. So, what next, Will?"

"Well, I think the best thing to do is head out to Mt. Silver and the Johto League."

Burgundy moaned. "Can't we take a bus or something? I've seen enough ice to last a lifetime! If I ever have kids, I will never take them to visit Santa at the mall, and this I swear!"

"Burg, they don't exactly have Greyhound buses that go through the mountains," said Wes. "They have planes, though." She perked up.

"Kelci, pack you flight medicine!"

I sighed. "We aren't flying! The nearest airport is a few towns over, and that would just set us back."

"But…"

Wes nudged her. "Just think of the reward! Remember the nice hotel room we had last time."

"Yeah, well…that was pretty nice."

I laughed. Wes was always good at getting her mind off the negative. "And since my sister doesn't get half of my money this time around, I'm pretty much loaded, so you can have whatever you want from the minibar."

She stopped for a moment, and looked as if she was weighing her options. "Fine, but you have to give me a piggy-back ride whenever I ask for it on the way."

I laughed. "Deal."

…

"Wha!" I woke with I start in response to the noise. "What was that!?" My lamp was flicked on. It was Kelci. She looked quite disheveled, with her hair in a mess and bags under her eyes.

"Wow, Will, you have good hearing. I was tiptoeing barefoot and you caught that!" She sat at the foot of my bed. She was holding papers. "I waited like you told me. I compiled all of the stuff that happened, and-"

"Did you write your story?"

She giggled. "I wrote a whole paper!" She began to shuffle through her stuff.

"Battle in Ilex Forest, Thefts in Ecruteak, Scavenger Hunt Busted up by Team Rocket, Ship Fired Upon, Dashing Young Trainer Saves Pokémon and Villains Alike, Massive Prison Break in Olivine, Celebi Found on Cianwood, Bombing in Mahogany, Red Gyarados Rampage, Dinosaur Attack on Blackthorn…all this great stuff!" I smiled. She was finally content with herself.

"Kelci, can I just ask you one favor?"

"Will, I will do literally anything for you right now."

"Could you omit the parts about the fight in Ilex and Celebi." For a moment, I saw confusion and sorrow in her eyes.

"But…why?"

"If Team Plasma gets found out, that'll make things a bit more…complicated. Plus, people will get scared. Especially with the Maelstrom stuff. And, about Celebi…Celebi is a legend. And she should remain that way. At least now. Like she said, people in this time don't understand her like they did or will. It wouldn't be fair if we put this out and hunters and collectors from all of the world come and defile the forest and Celebi's shrine. There will come a time when we can talk about these things," I put my hand on hers. "But that time hasn't come yet. Haven't you learned to trust me yet?"

She brushed a tear off of her cheek. "I guess…"

"You still have a ton of good stuff! Let's see Cici deny this! Can I proofread it all?" She handed me the papers. I must've been at it for two hours. "Kelci…this…this is the best writing I've ever seen…you should be proud of it! I mean…you've written it so well, it's all accounted for in such detail, it's like you're making _me _believe I missed parts, and I was there!"

She smiled. "There's just one part missing," she said, holding up a microphone. "I need a primary resource."


	43. Chapter 41: Winning the Battle-

I finally gave in to Burgundy's constant moaning and harping about having to go through the cold to reach the Johto League. We were to fly back to Goldenrod City on Dragonair, and take a plane. And while we were there, win Cici's bet.

"Alright," I said as my friends climbed one by one onto Dragonair's back. "Everyone, hold on to the person in front of you at all times, keep your hands and feet inside the ride also at all times…" I sat down in the front, and wrapped my hands around Dragonair's neck. "And if you need to throw up…turn sideways." I nudged Dragonair with my heel. We were off.

I heard Wes and Burgundy scream the whole way. Kelci was fine; she put her headphones in and was listening to music. I was just enjoying the view. I loved to fly. We zoomed over Mahogany Town. Aside from a few craters, everything looked pretty good. We passed Ecruteak about an hour later, and about an hour and a half after that, we came down at the entrance to Goldenrod City.

"Thank you for flying Air Grey, have a wonderful time in Goldenrod City!" Burgundy wobbled off and got sick in a bush.

"I'm never flying coach again," said Burgundy.

Celebi flew out of my backpack, a little dazed. She wobbled in the air.

**Woohoo…let's go again…**

…

As we approached the radio tower, we heard a familiar voice behind us. A familiar, annoying voice…

"Hey, what's up kiddo?" I groaned and turned to see Lance approaching. My sister, now on crutches, was with him.

"Hey, Caitlin! How are you?"

"Better. Being confined to bed rest gave me a lot of time to catch up on my movie and video game back log. I just got finished with the new and final Mass Effect 3 DLC."

"Was it good?"

"I laughed and I cried."

"Cried?"

"At the end you find a bunch of old recordings of Mordin. He sings 'Amazing Grace' in the last one."

I brushed a tear from my cheek. "Hey, no need to spoil it…"

Kelci elbowed by in the shoulder. "C'mon, softie! You can cry about the end of your favorite game trilogy later! We have a bet to win!" I sighed and shook my head.

"You seem really eager to go face Cici."

She laughed. "Yes! No! I don't know! I have Butterfree flying all over the place in my body! I can't separate thoughts! I'm afraid that I'm going insane!"

"Don't worry," said Caitlin. "You're just experiencing jitters before a major confrontational event with an intimidating figure in your life."

"Oh, and so now you're a shrink?" I asked accusingly.

"I took psychology classes in college."

"Fair enough."

…

"Hey, if it ain't the scrub and her nerd buddies," said Cici as she 'greeted' us. "You bring my badges?" Kelci shoved the papers into Cici's arms.

"Brought you something better!" For a few minutes Cici and her entourage read through the papers.

"This stuffs' pretty good, Cici," said one. Cici elbowed her.

"So, we win!" I said. We all cheered. Kelci and I high-fived.

"Hold up!" Cici threw the papers on the ground. "We never agreed on who gets to decide if it's a god story or not, so that means I do! And I decide that I wouldn't even wipe my shoes on these papers. You know what _is _a good story though, the new Mass Effect 3 DLC. Turns out the person leading the conspiracy is-"

"Hey!" I interrupted. "Spoilers! And that isn't fair! These are amazing stories!"

Cici smirked. "Too bad you don't make the decisions around here…"

"Who doesn't make the decisions around here?" Cici froze like someone had stabbed her with an icicle (which I kind of hoped was the case). We all turned to face a large, portly man with a bushy moustache approaching. Juno was behind him, as well as a thin lady wearing glasses and carrying a clipboard.

"Juno?" said Wes. "What are you doing here?"

"After Will, Lance, and I found out that Team Plasma and Team Rocket are after a signal Matrix, I came to the place with the biggest Matrix within a hundred miles-here-and told Mr. Bauz. He's in charge here."

"Darn right I am!" he said forcefully. He talked pretty fast. "I make the decisions! And I decide who doesn't make decisions, which is everyone! You don't get to decide that someone else can't decide, I decide who decides who can't decide! And that's my final decision! Now, did someone say something about 'good stories'?"

Cici gulped. "Um, yes sir. But-"

"Great! I love good stories! Nightingale, pick those up!"

"Me or her?" asked Cici.

"Only one Nightingale who works here, isn't there?"

"Actually, sir," said the secretary. "Her youngest sister, Cici, works here too, sir."

"Really, what does she do?"

"She's and investigative reporter here, sir. She gets stories."

Mr. Bauz turned to Kelci. "What do you do with these stories?"

She looked at her feet. "Cici sends me out to get them for her show…"

"Nightingale!"

Cici began to stutter. "M-me or h-"

"You! You know you're supposed to run all stories by me or Phyllis before you air them!"

"That's right, Mr. Bauz," said the secretary. I assume she was Phyllis.

"I-I do…"

Mr. Bauz was getting angry. I could tell he was an honest man who had honest values. "So you mean to tell me that some of these stories you've been submitting haven't been yours!?"

"No, sir…"

"You just said-"

She gulped. "It's not that some of them aren't mine…all of them aren't…"

"So you send your kid sister out on great cases, take them for yourself, and then send her out on garbage scenes so she can't take credit!?"

Cici was shaking now. "Y-y-yes s-s-sir…" I smiled. Justice was being served. I looked at Kelci. She didn't look happy at all.

"Nightingale!"

"M-me o-"

"You! Not only are you the worst sister in the history of this city, but you are a dishonest employee, which I do not tolerate!" He turned to his secretary. "Phyllis, do I tolerate that?" She flipped through a few papers.

"No, sir, you do not."

"Now, pick up these papers, and give them to me!" Cici, shaking and hyperventilating, picked up Kelci's reports and handed them to Mr. Bauz. He snatched them from her hand. He mumbled to himself as he read them. His bushy eyebrows rose higher and higher with each paper.

"This…this is brilliant! Amazing! Nightingale!"

"M-me-"

"No, the little one!" Kelci perked up.

"Yes, sir?"

"Did you right these?"

She nodded. "I did, sir."

"These are amazing! Our broadcast numbers and paper sales are declining; this'll give us the needed boost and then some! Our numbers will go through the roof! We'll go international! Phyllis, I want this on the next broadcast, and send these to Brad at the press and have these on the next paper out!"

"Yes, sir."

Cici rubbed her arm. "S-so should I go get ready for the broadcast-" She and her two cronies began to slowly sidestep towards the elevator.

"No! Sit down!" Their rears were magnetically attracted to the chairs (not literally, it's imagery). "Phyllis told me about that bet you made! Isn't that right, Phyllis?" She nodded.

"Yes sir. I even took down the minutes. 12:03, Cici says _Hey, little sis, what's up? You read those rocks for me like a good girl? _12:04, Brandi and Tali giggle. 12:04, Brandi says _Yeah, Kelci did you bring that cute little notebook? I had one just like it in second grade! _12:05,-"

"Okay, thank you Phyllis. My point is, I'm an honest man. Honor is the trade of the Bauz family! Any bet made in my building must be honored! Now, if Phyllis's notes are right, and they're never wrong, this young man stuck up for the little Nightingale and wagered his Gym badges against Cici's position. Correct?"

I nodded, but Cici jumped up. "Wait! He might not have all of his badges!" She crossed her arms and looked proud of herself.

"Well, son," said Mr. Bauz. "That was your side of the bargain. You got em?"

I flipped open my badge case. "We just finished yesterday."

Celebi giggled from inside my backpack. **Should we sing the song?**

Mr. Bauz put his hands on his hips. "Well, a bet is a bet. And as I've told you earlier, I decide everything in here, including bets! This is the best writing I've heard since my son played the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC the other day. I've gotta say, that plot twist-"

"Sir, spoilers," said Phyllis. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, right. Well, in any case, I declare the little Nightingale the winner! Nightingale!" he turned to face Cici. "And yes, I mean you! You're _FIRED_!"

She froze, and her face twitched. Mr. Bauz turned to Kelci. "Sweetheart, I'd love to have you as the new host of the old Nightingale's show. From now on, you're Nightingale! Phyllis!"

"Yes sir."

"Make it so!" She scribbled a few things down.

"Done, sir."

"Good girl! Nightingale, you can move into _your _new office whenever you're ready. I'll have Phyllis send someone up there to clean out all of the trash."

"You mean Cici's stuff?" asked Phyllis.

"Yeah, that."

"I'll tell Artie to get right on it…"

"Wait!" Kelci spoke up. "Mr. Bauz, sir. Can I…can I make a request?"

"What is it, Nightingale? Time is money!"

"Sir…I can't take this job…"

"What! Why, not only was this the term of the bet, but it makes a great story! 'Underdog Beats Over-Achiever Older Sister at Her Own Game!' I love it!"

"Sir, my goal was never to ruin Cici's life. She's my sister, and I love her. I just wanted to prove to her that I can do these things. That Sam and I weren't just extras. We can do anything you can! You just did it all first!"

Mr. Bauz scratched his chin. "So, you aren't taking the job, eh? I can respect that. At least _someone_," he shot Cici a look. She sat right back down. "-in the Nightingale family is a decent human being. Well, you did win. I won't have this dashing young Trainer have risked his hard-earned badges for nothing! What do you want, Nightingale? Anything in this company, ask and you shall receive. You can even have Phyllis's job if you want!"

Phyllis nearly dropped her pen. "What!?"

Kelci chuckled. "No, no, that won't me necessary, sir. Being out in the world, with great people like Will and the Rangers, helping people…it made me realize what I really want to do." She walked over to Juno. "If it's okay with you, I want to become and Operator for the Ranger Union." Juno smiled.

"I can make that happen."

"'Underdog Beats Over-Achiever Older Sister at Her Own Game, and Turns Down Winnings to Join Noble Cause!'," said Mr. Bauz. "I love it even more! Arceus-speed to you, Kelly!"

Kelci jolted. That wasn't her name (it was barely even close) but she had just been addressed almost by name by the big cheese. That must be an honor beyond any. Mr. Bauz turned to me.

"Son, you've got the kind of character I wish my employees had. Especially some recently terminated ones…but, if you ever need a job, lemmie know! I'll hire you in a heartbeat! Amazing things just seem to find you!"

I chuckled as I shook his hands. "You don't know that half of it. Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'll be going for a career switch any time soon."

He nodded. "Well, uh, if you ever get any good stories," he slipped me a business card. "Let us know first."

"I promise I will. Just as long as _she _doesn't get to read it." I looked over at Cici.

"That reminds me…"Mr. Bauz turned to Cici. "Looks like I've got a job opening, Nightingale! You gonna take it?"

"Yes! Of course, Mr. Bauz, of course!" Her smug grin returned "Well, scrub, have fun with your desk job! I get my show back-"

I clenched my fist. "Some people never change!"

"I agree," said Juno as she marched over to Cici. "Sometimes you just need to give things a little _push_!" She clocked Cici in the nose. Cici fell to the ground, clutching her face.

"Well," she said, clutching her face. "At least I get my show back…"

"Actually, that's not the job I was talking about. Ursula the cafeteria lady just quit. We need someone to replace her."

"W-what!?" Mr. Bauz looked at Brandi and Tali. "You two! Go take her to the hospital, and then get back here ASAP! See if any of the hairnets we already have fit her. I want her ready for her new 'promotion' by lunch!"

I smiled. It appeared justice would be served. In more ways than one.


	44. Chapter 42-Starting the War

I stepped out of the Radio Tower and into the sunlight. I was happy that Cici had gotten what she deserved. I was even happier that Kelci had found her true calling.

Anyway, our plane left in a half hour. We had to get moving.

"Will, wait!" Kelci ran up behind me. Before I could fully turn around, she embraced me in a hug. "Thank you for everything you've done!"

I patted her on the back. "That may not be what your family would have done, but that's what this one does."

She looked up at me, happy tears running down her face. "What?"

'We're a family, Kelci. Wes and Burgundy and you and me-"

**And me! **Cried Celebi, finally free of having to wait in my backpack. I laughed. "And you, Celebi. We've been through more in these past few weeks than most families ever go through in a lifetime. That's what makes us a family and not just friends. With friends, things may happen in between them. But with a family-a _true_ family-…well, you're always welcome back. That's what I want you to know."

She smiled. "Well, that's kinda what I wanted to go over. I am older than most students who do go to the Ranger School in Almia, but Juno says I will have to take a few months' courses there. I won't be seeing you for a while." She paused and kicked the ground.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor, but…I've asked you a lot already…"

"Anything, Kelci. Always, and anything."

"Hold out your hand, then."

I did, and felt two round objects enter them. I looked; they were Pokéballs.

"Are these-?" She nodded.

"Electabuzz and Noctowl. Once I start my career, especially once I'm in Almia, I won't be able to battle with them much. But you're a Trainer. You'll be able to battle with them."

"I can't accept this, I-"

"Please! They'd hate being cooped up all day! Jigglypuff isn't much of a fighter, but that's what they do! They're Trainer Pokémon, meant for a Trainer! That's you, Will!"

"Kelci-"

"Just take 'em and let's go!" said Burgundy. "We're gonna be late."

"Good luck, Will." Said Kelci, giving me one final hug. "Sorry I can't come to your tournament. I'll hit up the next one, I promise."

"Hey, what did I say about families? You want an adventure, just call me up. There's always room for one more on Team Grey!"

"Okay, enough sentimentality! Go catch your plane!" I waved as I started off in the other direction.

"And, Will?"

"Yeah?" I cried back.

"If you see my sister again…tell her I did it! Tell her I beat Cici!"

…

Shear woke suddenly. She peeked over her shoulder to where King Plasma and the scientist had been: they were gone. The lab was still empty. She searched about for a few minutes, until her keen senses picked up a sound. She continued in that direction, until she saw a sealed door. Green light escaped from under it.

She snuck up t it silently, and pressed her ear against the door. She heard three voices; King Plasma, Colress, and…another. They began to speak.

"You're back."

_W-where did I go_? Asked the mysterious, feminine voice. It had a slight echo to it.

"You fell back asleep again," said Colress. "But you are awake now." He spoke very slowly, very clearly."

_Oh…okay. I must be tired…_

"Oh, yes," said King Plasma. "You are tired. Very, very tired. But you'll get better soon."

_When will I get better?_

"We're in no hurry," said Colress. "You can recover at your leisure. No one is rushing you."

_But…I have to get back…_

"You have nothing to return to," King Plasma continued in his slow, soothing tone, matching Colress. "You have never done anything ever before. This is the first thing you have ever done."

_B-but I remember…_

"You don't remember anything," said Colress, before he paused for a moment. "Tell me, what is your name?"

_M-my name?_

"Yes, do you remember your name?"

_My name…my name is…my name is Emily._

"No." This was King Plasma. "That is incorrect. That is not your name."

_It's not? B-but I remember…_

"No! You do not remember! These 'memories' are but shadows of a life you never lived. The shadow of what _you _are. What _I've _created."

_Are you my father?_

Silence. "Yes. I created you. I am your father."

_What is your name?_

"My name is unimportant. You do not need to know my name. You may call me Father."

_I would like to know your name…_

"No, you would not. You may call me Father."

_Then…I would like to know my name._

"Would you?" asked Colress.

_Yes. Very much._

Shear heard Colress and King Plasma whisper for a moment. "Your name is Genesis. That is your name."

_Right…my name is Genesis. How silly of me to forget. Genesis. That is my name. I am Genesis. _The voice was silent for a moment. _I'm sorry I forgot. I…I'm just very tired._

"Like I said, that will go away. You can take as long as you want to recover."

_Okay. Father, why do I remember these…shadows._

"You do not need to know about that. The shadows will go away, just like your tiredness will. I promise. And you don't 'remember' anything. In fact, today is your birthday."

_Are you sure? I don't feel newborn…_

"We are very sure, Genesis," said Colress. "Today is your birthday. You have never existed before today. You forgot that because you are very tired."

_That's right. It's my birthday…I forgot, because…because I'm very tired._

"Good girl," said King Plasma. "Now, go back to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up. I promise."

_Okay…I trust you, father…_

"Good, good. That means everything that I've done so far has been a success. Now, go back to sleep, Genesis."

_Yes, father._

There was a hum, and the green light faded. Colress and King Plasma began to talk.

"She thinks she remembers. If we aren't careful, she will. She'll become what she was, not what we want her to be."

"With patience and the right equipment, she will. We will not fail like we did with Maelstrom. Project Genesis, and hopefully Project Neo-Phase, will be a success."

"I share the same ambition, my lord," said Colress. "Shall I send for Agent Shear to escourt the package to proper storage?"

"Yes. Just make sure that it is ready for travel."

She bolted back to the spot where she had fallen asleep. She leaned up against the wall, and pretended to still be unconscious. Just as she assumed the same position as before, the door whooshed open. She slowly opened her eyes and faked a yawn.

"Prefect timing, Agent Shear," said Colress. In one hand, he was holding a wide cylinder with a handle on the top of it. He handed it to her. "You are to escourt this to the C-Wing. Give it to Dr. Brand. She will know what to do with it. On the way, do not shake it, do not drop it, and do not raise the lid."

She nodded. "I'll be off."

She walked out the door, and down several hallways. Once she was sure that she had walked far enough away, she let curiosity rule her actions. She had been given an order from a scientist, not King Plasma. Technically, she outranked Colress. She held the packaged up at eye level. It was quite heavy, even for her. She wondered how Colress had managed to lift it. Maybe that blue half-ring around his head had something to do with it…

Her fingers touched the bottom of the shade. She pressed up; it didn't lift. She discovered a button on the handle. She pressed it, and the shade shot up. Instantly, it felt as if her mind were incased in a bubble of hot air. She began to twitch, but soon regained control of her muscles. Her mind still felt foggy, like someone was reaching out to it. She looked back at the package. Her cargo was a green orb. It glowed brightly.

_Hello_, said the voice in her head. It was the one she had heard before. _My name is Genesis. What is your name?_

…

I sat in my seat on the plane, slowly rotating the Pokéballs of Electabuzz and Noctowl in my fingers.

_Who will I face this time_, I thought to myself.

_A better question is; who will you face after these silly little games._

_This is serious, Aria. Serious to me. This is my career. I do this for a living!_

_Oh, and you live. At least, you will. Unless we finish our training, of course._

_What?_

_There's an immense evil out to get you! Remember? I say we take care of this thing before your stupid little games!_

_Now isn't the time! Shear said I'd be informed of when that time came!_

_You're still letting Shear control you? Do you even want to free yourself from you trigger phrase at this point?_

_Of course I do!_

_Than act like it. Change your mind before I change it for you._

I hate her so much.

_Heard that._

Celebi flew out of my backpack, which had been in between my legs. She had hiddenin it when I was going through security. Luckily, metal detectors didn't pick up time-traveling Pokémon. How awkward would it have been if I had to answer to, "Sir, why is there a small Legendary Pokémon in your luggage?" That would've been a tough one.

**The Usurper is right, Will. The time is coming. We're gonna have to face Maelstrom soon.**

"Yeah…I know. But we'll be ready. I'm sure of it."

**I believe in you, Will. And thanks to your help, I believe in me a little more too! Being a part of Team Grey can really give you a boost in self-consciousness!**

"Yeah," I said, patting her on the head. "Or it could end you up in the hospital."

**That is true. But, like you said, we're still a family.**

"That's right, Celebi. That's right…" I stroked her head as she nestled up on my lap, preparing to go to sleep. "Hey, wait a second. What did you call Aria earlier?"

**Huh, oh…uh…nothing. Nothing important.**

"You called her 'Usurper'. What does that mean?"

**Oh…uh…I forget. I'm just…uh…really tired right now!**


	45. Chapter 43: Going for the Gold Again

I took in a deep breath. "Smell that, guys. That's the smell of victory, ready for the taking."

Burgundy waved her hand in front of her nose. "I think it's the smell of sweaty Trainers and Pokémon." We drew closer to the Johto League building. Like the one in Kanto, it was a grand, massive complex. The cobblestone road leading up to it was large, with great grassy fields on either side, filled with Trainers practicing with their Pokémon.

Burgundy jogged ahead of me and began to jump up and down. 'C'mon, Will! _Dépêchez-vous! _Hurry up! I heard this one has a really nice pool! I wanna go in the pool!"

**Me too, me too! **Celebi flew ahead of me.

"Do Celebi swim?" asked Wes.

**Of course we do? In fact, we don't even need to eat, we just absorb water!**

"Then why do you eat so much chocolate?"

**Because it's so yummy!**

Wes laughed. "But still, I wouldn't drink the water in the pool. If you want, I'll buy you a bottle of water."

**Oh, that sounds good! I'm really hungry!**

"Yeah…eating water, right…" The two of them diverted down an opposite path. Burgundy was walking backwards in front of me.

"Come one! C'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon 'c-oof!" She bumped into someone. The girl turned around.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I-" It was Rita. She immediately blushed and looked at her feet.

"H-hi Will…"

"Hey, Rita!" I walked over to her. "How's the journey coming?"

She continued to look down at her feet. "Well…I got two badges, so I can't compete yet…so…I came to watch you battle…if that's okay…"

"That's great! In fact, you can probably hang out with Wes and Burgundy, if you want while I compete!"

She looked up a bit, just enough for me to see her eyes. "O-okay. Thanks...I-I'll leave, if you're hanging out with Burgundy right now…"

"Nah, it's cool. She's not my girlfriend or anything."

This time Rita looked up for real. "She's not?"

"Heck no!" I wrapped my arm around her. "She's like a little brother to me!"

"Gee, tha-wait, brother!?" I laughed and playfully shoved on her shoulder. "Come on, I was just about to check in to the competition." I stopped for a minute. "You know, I five free tickets to give to people, as I'm competing. Wes and Burgundy are two, plus just my mom since my dad can't make it…and my sister and Lance…no wait, he gets in for free…so I can give you one of my free tickets!"

"That's…so nice of you…I should pay you…"

"Nonsense! Now, come on, let's go see what's up."

…

After I checked in, it was the same routine: all of my Pokémon, on the green, pre-tournament pep talk. I got re-acquainted, made some new introductions, and one final, special one…"

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Celebi. She'll be joining us for the tournament."

**Hi, everyone! It's gonna be so much fun to battle with you all!**

All of my Pokémon made out their respective noises of approval. Moltres flapped its wings and growled.

**Oh…uh, hi Moltres! How's it going…**

"You two know each other?" I asked.

**We've…uh…met in this timeline. Moltres was accidentally lighting a forest on fire, so we fought…**

Moltres flapped its wings even harder and screeched.

**Yeah, I know you were building a new nest, but still-**

"Enough! That was the past-"

**I'll say…**

"-_but _we are all on the same team. We will treat each other with the same respect we treat ourselves."

Rita walked about, admiring my Pokémon. "Wow…they're all so strong…" Shellshocker flexed his muscles. Wes laughed.

"Easy, buddy. Do you even lift?"

"Stoise!"

"Still, Rita isn't really your type…"

I swear I could've heard Rita mumble something. I got back to my speech. "Alright, everybody, listen up! It's been a while, and the rest of today and all of tomorrow will be spent getting re-acquainted. And just like last time, we're gonna need a strong start before we can really strategize. So, since this isn't a permanent thing, and she'll only be in _this _tournament, Celebi will start first."

**Oh boy! This is gonna be so much fun!**

Once again, I felt a wave of anger from Moltres.

"Listen, Moltres, you can't always get your way! And don't give me that **** like last time, because if you don't listen like last time, we'll lose again like last time. Understood?"

Moltres hissed. "Good, now suck it up! We've got a lot of work to do, peop-or, Pokémon!"

…

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 266nd Annual Johto League Pokémon Tournament!" A great cheer went up from the audience.

"Today will be the Preliminary Round of the tournament, meaning that each Trainer will only use one Pokémon, the winners will move on to the 3-on-3 battle rounds! Our first challengers today are Jacob Taylor from Violet City and William Grey from Viridian City. If you can remember, folks, William made quite a splash in the Kanto League last year. For his first ever tournament, he place 12th overall, and put on display his one-of-a-kind Moltres! Let's see how he can surprise us this year!"

I smirked. _Oh, they're in for a surprise all right…_

Celebi giggled. **You said it!**

"Jacob won the coin toss, so he will go first! Let the battle begin!

"Piloswine, I choose you!" Celebi shuddered. I patted her on the shoulder.

"Relax. You can do this. Just focus and stay calm. It might not even be able to touch you with its ice!"

**Okay…**She slouched a bit, but then perked back up. **I'm ready!**

"In that case, Celebi, show 'em up!" That got a reaction from the crowd.

"Looks like I was right, ladies and gents!," cried the announcer. "William once again surprises us with a rare and mysterious Pokémon. I'm sure none of us have ever seen a Celebi before!"

Celebi blushed. **Stop it, you're flattering me!**

"Piloswine, Take-Down!" Piloswine glowed and dashed at Celebi. Celebi rose and weaved in the air, avoiding the attacks.

**Na-na-na na-na! You can't get me!**

"Celebi, Psychic!" Celebi glowed and thrust her arms out. Piloswine was sent flying back.

"Now, Solarbeam!" Celebi began to charge up.

"Piloswine, Ice Beam!" Oh no.

"Celebi, quit it! Get out of the way!" It was too late. She couldn't get away in time. She fell to the ground, shuddering. Her little pixie wings tried to flap and carry her up, but her kryptonite wouldn't allow it. She was frozen.

"Piloswine, Take-Down!" Piloswine knocked Celebi all the way back to me. She struggled to get back up.

**I…I can't do it, Will…**

"Yes you can, Celebi! You can do anything! I believe in you." Celebi looked up at me and said nothing. Then she looked back. "Now, get ready to dodge the next attack."

**Don't need to.**

Piloswine came charging again. Celebi stood her ground. And then, at the last second, she waved her arm, and a Frenzy Plant vine reached out and grabbed Piloswine's tusk. It was flung onto its back on the opposite side of the field.

"Amazing! For such a little Pokémon, Celebi sure packs a punch!"

Celebi stretched out her wings, and with one great flap, she was rising fast into the air. A purple bubble appeared around her, and she dived down at Piloswine.

"And Celebi goes in with Giga Impact for the finish-" A giant dust cloud was kicked up from the attack. The dust slowly cleared.

"-and it's over! Celebi is the winner! William advances to Round 2!"

…

"That was awesome, Celebi!" said Burgundy as we met up afterwards. "You were all like…you were…that was so-"

Wes slowly pushed her aside. "What my associate is trying to say is that you did a good job, Celebi. You too, Will. Nice work." I shook his hand. "Thanks."

"I agree. Nice showmanship, but the attacks could've been a little better," said Juno as she approached. "I probably could've done better myself," she said, admiring her fingernails."

"Yeah, whatever. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well, I wasted so much time wandering around this backwater region getting those stupid little badges with you dorks, I decided to see what you get out of them. A tournament and some fancy dinner, that's all."

"Yeah well…wait, fancy dinner?"

She pointed me towards a flyer. "Yeah, everyone who qualified is welcomed there. It's like a meet-and-greet for everyone in the tournament."

"Sweet!" said Burgundy, jumping in the air. "We should go!"

Wes studied the poster. "Sorry, Burg. But is says only participants and their dates can go."

"Please please please PLEASE take me!" begged Burgundy. Juno shoved her aside.

"Hold it, Highlighter Head, he's taking me!"

"He already took you out to dinner!"

"We got rained out, it doesn't count!"

"When will your dates start counting!?"

"Why do you like him?"

"Tch, no!"

"Then fine!" She linked arms with me. "You can order room service."

"Uh, see you later, guys!" I struggled to get out as Juno dragged me away.

"Ugh, this looks fancy. Do I have to go?" I complained.

"Yes, I'm making you go! And, that's the one problem I thought you'd have…"

I stopped, puzzled. "What…?"

She smiled. "Black-tie only."


	46. Chapter 44: Casual Dresswear-My Old Foe

_Listen, champ. I'm a Pokédex, not a romantic counselor. Why did ya' even bring me? _Asked Dex as I waited outside the restaurant.

"Listen, I'm going in blind here. The picnic and that one night where we got pizza were a warm up, but this is the big leagues! A fancy restaurant, with people also with their dates! I've gotta go big, or go home. And you're my only option."

_What about me? _Asked Aria.

_You're a millennia-old warrior princess inside my head. What would you know about dating modern women?_

_I dunno. But if need be, I know over fifty ways to kill her with anything you find at your table._

_Dually noted._

I heard clicking behind me. I turned to face Juno. And I was even more afraid now than when I was driving an airship into the ocean. She was wearing battle armor for the occasion. And by that I mean; she was dressed up. If anything, that was worse. She wore a blue, knee length sleeveless dress, with heels. Juno in heels! There might as well have been a ticking time bomb in that airship.

"Well, you sure clean up nice. For a Pokémon Trainer, that is."

"Uh…um…"

_Tell her she looks nice for a no good, muscle-headed Ranger._

"Not what I was going for, Dex," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.

_Hey, she started it._

"Are you talking to yourself?"

"Um…yes?"

She shrugged. "Okay." She linked arms with me. "Now, let's go meet the riff-raff."

…

We sat down at our table. Around us, Pokémon Trainers sat and stood, chatting with each other. Some even brought their Pokémon.

_Darn it! _I thought to myself. _Should've brought Shellshocker with me. He'd be my wingman…_

We sat there, silent for a moment. I guess both of us couldn't figure out what to say. I heard Aria giggle.

_What's so funny?_

Aria laughed again. _Oh, nothing._

_Tell her she looks nice, _said Dex.

"You…uh…you look nice tonight…"

She brought out a stern expression and folded her arms. "Are you saying I've never looked nice before?"

"Agh, no! I was only-" She laughed and waved her hand.

"Nah, I'm just messin' with you! I know you're nervous, Will. Don't be. We're just two friends having fun. I won't bite you!"

"Have you ever bitten someone on a date before?"

She scratched her chin. "Yeah, actually, yeah. I think the guy called me pretty, but was implying I've never looked good before the occasion…"

I jolted. She laughed again. "Kidding, kidding! Yeesh, lighten up!"

I tried on several occasions. Failed on most of them, but still, it was a good night.

…

After dinner, Juno returned to her hotel room. I decided to hang out in the park for a while. I sat down on a bench and leaned back. This reminded me of the night Skye and I sat on a bench like this, outside of the Kanto League. I forgot what we talked about…

"Nice night, huh?" I turned, and jumped out of my seat. It was the blue haired guy from Team Rocket. Archer.

I had no Pokéballs, but reacted anyway. Unconsciously, I pulled out Dex and held him out like a pistol.

_Pew…pew…_ he said in an un-amused tone.

Archer laughed. "Easy, killer. You might take someone's head off with that."

I took an instinctive step back, preparing to run. "What do you want?"

"I want to make a request."

"A request is wanting something. I ask again, what do you want?"

Archer smiled. "Such a smart boy. Well, I think you've figured it out by now. You. I want you."

I lowered Dex(I was still holding him like a weapon). "Do you really think I'd join you!? First of all, the things you've done to people, like stealing those eggs, and those Pokémon, almost killing them! Second, you guys suck! You keep getting beat by a 14 year old kid!"

"Aided with the augmentation and resources of a certain Team Plasma organization, yes?"

"How did you-"

"King Plasma thinks he has a perfect organization. But I have spies there. I have spies everywhere. Searching, waiting, hoping for a clue as to the whereabouts of Giovanni."

This was starting to get old. "Giovanni is gone! Get over it!"

"If you would like to believe that, so be it. Be the truth is, he isn't. True, Team Rocket used to be a puppet organization, but no longer. Not only are we free, but we are stronger than ever! How could he not return to lead us in our glorious triumph!?"

"Because you're insane, that's why! Now why do you want me?"

"First of all, we could find a cure for your dependence on that fuel your body now requires."

That got me thinking. Ever since I…well…died and was brought back by Team Plasma's Cryo-science, I was told I would forever be dependent on them to give me some sort of energy source to keep my artificial body functions working. If I betrayed them, they'd just cut me off…and I'd apparently die.

"Second, you've been gaining prestige. People know who you are, William, for better or for worse, as you will soon find out. Giovanni would recognize a person of your stature, and come back with you-and I-at his side. Think about that." He got up to leave. Before I could say anything, someone called me.

"Hey, hey you!" A group of people approached me. They were all Pokémon Trainers, and looked pretty happy. "Are you William Grey?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Oh, well, I'm Clyde. I'm facing you tomorrow."

"Oh, well, good luck then. May the best man win." We shook hands.

"Thanks. Um…well, a bunch of us were about to play wiffleball, and we were wondering if you wanted to play too…"

"Sure!" For a few hours that night we played wiffleball. I get acquainted with the Trainers, they were all great people. Jess, Jack, Ryan, Liz, Al, Fredrick, among others. You know, I'm beginning to figure out why the Trainer program was started…

…

"That as a great battle, Clyde," I said as we exited the field.

"Yeah, I agree. I know that I lost, but thanks. Your Granbull, Arcanine, and Pidgeot were awesome!" I shook his hand.

"Thanks! You know, that thing your Furret did with the Dig was really confusing. For me, I mean. If I wasn't on guard for tricks that would've got me."

He laughed. "Well, I think I'll stick around for a little more of the tournament. Then, I'm off to Kanto. Be seeing you!" I waved goodbye as my gaze drooped a bit. Now that that fun was over, my mind once again returned to what Archer said last night. He could free me. But no, I'd be doing the wrong thing. But is this the right thing? That's what I keep wondering. I felt Burgundy wrap her arms around my neck.

"C'mon, snap out of it! You've got a battle at 5! If you lose, you buy me dinner!" She began to lead me towards the door.

"Don't I buy you guys dinner every night anyway?"

"Fine then. You can buy me dessert, too!"

…

The battle brought me out of my funk. It was the actually battle, it was who I found out I was facing. Kayla. I mean, not to be rude or anything, but…how did she make it this far? I was fully snapped out when she sent forth her first Pokémon.

"Sunflora, come on!"

"Dex?"

_It's just another Grass-Type, gimmie a break…_

_Dex…_

_Fine, fine…_

_Sunflora_

_The Sun Pokémon_

_Since it converts sunlight into energy, it is always looking in the direction of the sun._

_There, happy?_

"Noctowl, let's go!" Since Kayla had won the coin toss(I need to stop picking tails) she would go first.

"Sunflora, Solarbeam!" I was puzzled. Wasn't the point of Solarbeam to wait until a spot opened up in your opponent's defenses, and then to use it?

"Noctowl, use Fly!" Noctowl zoomed up, and arced back around to attack. It made contact, Sunflora putting up no resistance while still charging. It was flung into the back wall.

"Sunflora is unable to battle! The victory goes to Noctowl.

"Cheater!" shouted Kayla from across the field. Noctowl opened its wings and screeched. It felt angry and proud, and if I had to guess what it was saying, it would probably be, "Don't hate the player, hate the game!"

"Jumpluff, don't mess this up!" Jumpluff was next for Kayla. She seemed to have a thing for Grass-Types. "Jumpluff, Solarbeam!" Really, again?

"Uh, Noctowl…use Steel Wing." Noctowl rammed into Jumpluff, wing aglow. It was sent into the same spot Sunflora was.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle. The victory goes to Noctowl."

Kayla clenched the Pokéball in her hand. "I quit!" And with that, she stormed off the field.

"Uh…" the announcer was confused. "Kayla has forfeit the match…William is the winner?"

I wanted to win, but not like that.

…

I ducked quickly out of the arena, hoping to avoid my friends(although Juno and Burgundy would probably kill me if they found that out). I wanted to find Kayla. I turned a corner, and saw her talking on her Pokégear.

"Yeah, no, I'm finished! It's over! Find someone else to do that!" She snapped her phone shut, and turned around just in time to see me coming. She began to leave.

"Kayla, wait!"

She turned on her heels. "What!?"

"What happened today? In the arena. Why did you just quit?"

She sat down on a bench. She threw her badge case at me. "Take a look." I opened it up and picked up her Zephyr Badge. It felt lighter than mine. I squeezed it; plastic. It was a fake!

"These are-"

"Fake? Yeah, I know." She buried her face in her hands.

"Kayla, that's illegal! You could be arrested! How-"

"I couldn't do it!" She started sobbing. "I'm not good at being a Trainer!"

I slowly sat down next to her. "What do you mean? Start from the top."

"I'm horrible at being a Trainer. I can't handle all of the distance, the being in the wilderness, the battles! I always lose! It took so long to get one badge! By the time you were headed to the Indigo Plateau, I was struggling to get badge number four…"

"That's no reason to get discouraged…"

"It is! I hated it! I hated every minute of it! I just wanted to be good! Andrew found me, and he offered me a deal. He'd make copies of his Johto badges once he got them, and in return, I'd just have to parade around with him, pretending to be his girlfriend. I almost got sick."

"Kayla, having the badges doesn't make you better. _Earning_ them does! You need to grow, learn, live with your Pokémon. Getting good doesn't take anything more than practice, knowing who you're working with. I had a Legendary Pokémon on my team last time, and I still didn't win!"

"Now you have two…"

"Not my point. My point is, being a Trainer is what I love. It's my dream! Traveling the world, meeting new people, seeing new things, finding new Pokémon. That's what I like to do! For better or for worse. It's not for everyone, though. You have to find something _you_ love, and go do it. Your Pokémon will be there every step of the way. They love you, respect you, look up to you. You're their leader, Kayla. You lead, they follow."

Kayla sniffled. "Well, I kinda liked the traveling part…"

"Well, then maybe you could be a coordinator. They go to a lot of fancy places."

"What do coordinators do?"

"They specialize in using their Pokémon's move and abilities to make them look the best they can. To put on a show."

"That…sounds nice."

"Maybe you should try it! Start now before it's too late!"

"Too late?"

"Some people spend their whole lives doing something they hate, or more importantly, the thing that they don't love. I feel sorry for those people. I wake up every morning, and it's a guarantee that at some point in that day, I'm gonna laugh my rear end off, and I'm gonna experience something new, and be able to spend that day with friends that some people could only wish to have. You have to find the thing that does that for you, Kayla. Do that, and you're set."

"Thanks, Will. I needed that."

"You should try Hoenn next. I hear they have a strong coordinator presence there."

"Maybe I will." She paused for a moment. "Oh, and about the badge thing…"

I made a zipping gesture over my lips. "I promise not to tell a soul on one condition: swear to me that you will never cheat again, and that you will always treat your Pokémon with love and respect."

She raised her right hand. "I swear."

"Good." I thought for a moment. "One more thing. It really isn't my place to say, but if Andrew tries to tell you something again, don't trust him. He's probably working an angle."

Her face scrunched up. "Trust him!? Next time I see him I'm going to break his nose!"

"Glad to see you've got your confidence back."

She nodded. "Good luck, Grey. If you face Andrew, kick his butt for me." She left, and I watched her go. I had just saved a life. Not from dying, from not living.


	47. Chapter 45: Here's to Hoping

"And in a stunning development, William Grey wins with a completely outmatched team!" I had just won my first 4-on-4 double battle. Typhlosion, Moltres, Butterfree and Sandslash had faced Pokémon that were strong against their respective types, but had still won. I was extremely proud of my teammates; they were getting stronger with each battle.

Strangely, my friends did not meet me outside the stadium. Not my mother, not my sister, not even Rita! There were a few people congratulating me, but no one else. I walked down the hallway slowly, when all of a sudden my head felt a bit cooler. I turned around to see Sneasel, holding my hat.

"Sneasel!? How did you get out?" It taunted me, and then took off down the hallway. I gave chase. I chased it all through the building, which took a good two hours. I was glad I didn't have another battle until tomorrow, because this was a huge waste of time. When I chased it outside, it had already turned dark. Just when I thought I was getting closer, it jumped onto Noctowl's back. The two were in league!

"You tow get back here right now! That's an order!" I stopped to catch my breath. "This is insubordination!"

…

I chased them for a while longer(lost track of time) until they finally just gave it back. What got into them!? I was tired and sweaty when I got back to the room. I just wanted to shower and go to bed. The lights were off. I flicked on the lights and…

"Happy Birthday!" The lights came on. All of my friends, my mom, my sister, my Pokémon(and other *ahem* Lance) were there. Balloons were strung everywhere, and a banner was stretched across the ceiling. I had forgotten what day it was. January 7th, my birthday.

Celebi flew up behind me and strung a party hat to my chin. The strap stung as it clung on my face. Everyone crowded around me, hugging me and patting me on the back. "I hate you all," I said blandly. They all laughed.

"It's because of what we made Sneasel do, isn't it?" asked Wes.

"Yeah, thanks guys. Gonna kill you. That's just how I wanted to spend my birthday, chasing my hat around the complex.

Juno laughed. "You know, I had to make Noctowl give you that hat back. You would've chased it all night and missed your birthday!"

**Don't worry! He has plenty more! **Said Celebi. We all laughed. I mingled for a bit. Jasmine was there, as well as Rita and her sister Addison(they were both staring at me the whole time. Rita with her nervous, unsure face. Addison looked swooned and excited). My dad couldn't make it, but he sent a card with mom.

_Happy Birthday Son!_

_Good luck in your tournament! I'm proud of you for making it this far, and am sorry I couldn't make it. I'm very busy, but I promise I'll make it up somehow. _

_-Dad_

_P.S. Don't forget, Juno's birthday is immediately after yours. Say hi for me. Her family and ours are very close._

I remembered now; Juno's birthday was right after mine. That must be why the cake looked like it was being split in half like a cell, but stopped halfway. One side had a pink 15 on it, the other a blue. We were ushered to our seats. Juno tried shoving me down on the pink side. "Come on, Will, get on your side so we can eat the cake!" I don't know why, but Aria once again burst out laughing in my head.

Once our arrangements were set, we waited until the clock sasid11:59 and they sang:

_Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday dear William!_

_Happy birthday to you!_

The clock struck 12.

_-and Juno!_

Everyone clapped. We blew out our candles. As a joke, Moltres(who was too big to be in the hotel room, and was instead leaning its head through the window), reignited my candles several times.

We ate(Wes making sure Burgundy didn't have too much sugar) and then they moved us to the living room to give us presents. Lance got me us both a scale from his red Gyarados(so generous, I know) but it was still pretty cool. Caitlin gave me back all of the money I lost to her in the bet the previous year(though I may never get my dignity back). Wes ad Burgundy gave me a canteen shaped like a Blastoise. Celebi drifted over to me.

**I have something for you, but you'll have to wait until later to get it!**

"Okay, fair is fair."

Burgundy sat up on the couch. "Well, what did you wish for when you blew out the candles?" Wes elbowed her.

"It doesn't work if he tells you!"

**If you guys want real wishes, I should introduce you to a friend of mine!**

Caitlin chuckled. "You don't understand, Celebi. It's just a tradition at birthday parties."

**Oh, no, I do. I really know someone who grants wishes.**

Juno put down her case. "In that case, set up the meeting." We all laughed. "But seriously, Will, what did you wish for?"

I took out my Pokégear and held it up. It had the bracket for the tournament. If I won my next double battle, my first full battle would be against Andrew. "I wished to beat him. Hard."

Lance raised his glass. "And here's to that wish coming true."

"Hear, hear!"

...

I fought my next battle with a passion. A drive to win. I used Jolteon, Clefable, Dragonair, and Ampharos. All of my Pokémon are great, but I wanted to save the big hitters for Andrew.

Once my battle was finished, my friends knew my drive, and backed off a bit. My battle with Andrew would be under the lights; the last battle of the night. Shellshocker, Moltres, Celebi, Granbull, Typhlosion, and Alakazam would be in this one.

And would you speak of the devil himself, Andrew showed up. He was waiting for me.

"Willie and company, just the people I wanted to see!"

"Just the opposite of what we feel."

"Your words, they sting. I just wanted to wish you good luck. No hard feelings." He held out his hands. I crossed my arms. "Okay, okay, hard feeling, hard feelings."

"We know what you did to Kayla. Treating her like a trophy. A pet."

"She knew the deal, and she agreed to it. And you know she enjoyed being my girlfriend." Burgundy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? From what Will heard, she was supposed to be pretending."

He shrugged. "Pretending, not pretending, what's the difference?"

"Meaning it," said Juno.

"Whatever. Anyway, I've got a proposition for you."

"Oh boy, I can't _wait _to hear this one."

He smirked, and then leaned in close. "Throw the match." I was baffled.

"What!?"

"Throw the match! Quit! Whoever wins had to face a really tough Trainer. You should quit with you dignity, so I won't have to tire out my A-Team fighting you."

"There's no _dignity _in quitting," spat Juno. "Thinking so just helps illustrate the kind of person you are."

"Is what it is."

"No, it isn't!" I got in his face. "I don't know whether or not I'll win tomorrow. Although you are one of the most despicable people I've ever met, somehow you manage to be a decent Trainer. But if I go down, I'm going down fighting. And knowing I took you down with me will make losing worth it. I'll have learned something." I turned to leave. "And hopefully, you will too."

…

"This 6-on-6 full battle shall take place between William Grey of Viridian City, and Andrew Gaunt of Celadon City. This seems to be a grudge match of sorts between rivals! William shall go first!"

"Granbull, go!"

"Hitmontop, show him up!"

The rumored third Tyrogue evolution appeared. I had never actually seen one before.

"Granbull, Thunderpunch!" My stalwart Pokémon immediately obeyed, and dashed at Hitmontop. Andrew just smirked.

"Close Combat." When Granbull was close enough, Hitmontop unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, beating it back. I winced. That was going to cause a lot of damage.

"Fire Fang!" Granbull's jaw heated up, and it crunched down on Hitmontop's leg. It shook Hitmontop around like a doll, and then flung it. Hitmontop limped up.

"Come on, you piece of garbage! Get up!" Hitmontop tried, but failed on its bad leg. It fell back down.

"Hitmontop is unable to battle! The victory goes to Granbull!" Granbull roared. The crowd cheered. Looks like I'm the fan favorite.

"Steelix, go!" The giant iron snake that had helped cost me my victory last time emerged.

"Granbull, Fire Fang!" Granbull once again rushed at Steelix, who swept its tail at Granbull. Granbull jumped it like one of those little fences from a track meet. It latched on to one of Steelix's notches, and wouldn't let go.

"Steelix, Rapid Spin!" Steelix rotated at supersonic speeds, throwing Granbull off.

"Now, Hyper Beam!" Steelix charged up and fired.

"Granbull is unable to battle! The victory goes to Steelix!"

Burgundy, in the stands, nearly punctured her hand driving her nails into it. "Come on, Will. You can do it!"

"They're about evenly matched. This could go either way," said Caitlin.

"That's what I'm worried about," replied Burgundy. "I only get worried in battles I'm not sure Will can win." She looked my sister in the eyes. "I'm not often worried."

"Typhlosion, all in!" Typhlosion roared at its opponent. Steelix roared in response. "Now, Eruption!" This column of flames was bigger than any I had seen before. It was then I truly realized how good a Trainer I was; my Pokémon could read me. They knew how important this was. By good, I don't mean strong. I'm not being cocky. Like I said to Kayla; a good Trainer doesn't have badges, he knows what it takes to get them.

Steelix slithered back, recoiling from the flames. "Get back in there, coward!" yelled Andrew. Steelix groaned, but he continued to yell. I took my chance.

"Typhlosion, Flame Wheel!" Steelix barely had time to turn around before Typhlosion barreled into it. It fell down on the ground.

"Steelix is unable to battle! Typhlosion is the winner!"

"Quagsire, show him who's boss!" Wooper's evolved form took the field. I couldn't afford to switch and give up a move.

"Dynamic Punch!" Typhlosion rushed at Quagsire. It remained completely calm. That thing just didn't care!

"Hydro Pump!" Typhlosion juked out of the way, and jabbed it in the side of the head. It rolled over, and got back up.

"Earthquake!"

The ground shook, and Typhlosion fell over. "Now, Hydro Pump!"

"Flame Wheel, go!" Typhlosion spun into its flaming ball, just as the Hydro Pump made contact. It was broken out of it, and sent back. It struggled to its feet; it was almost cashed out. But then a thought struck me. "Typhlosion, return!" I recalled my Pokémon.

"Alakazam, I choose you!"

Andrew laughed. "That thing's checked out, anyway. It'll be useless. Might as well have foddered it off."

"We'll see. Alakazam, Psychic!" That wiped the smile right off both of their faces.

I expected Andrew to yell at it, too, but her remained calm. "Fine, wanna play like that? Well do it your way! Charizard!" My old foe(not the tuxedo from before, the Charizard) was back.

"Charizard, Blast Burn!" A mighty flame, stronger even than Eruption, was shot at Alakazam.

"Teleport, quickly!" Alakazam vanished, but quickly reappeared behind Charizard. But Charizard was fast. It slammed Alakazam with its tail, knocking Alakazam back and its spoons right out of its hands. It was defenseless without them.

"Flamethrower." Charizard placed a foot on Alakazam's chest, and breathed flames on its face. It was over.

"Alakazam, return." I looked at my next Pokéball. _I know you've been waiting for this, buddy._

"Shellshocker, go!" Shellshocker saw its target, and then looked back at me and nodded. It had this.

"Charizard, Seismic Toss, now!" Andrew didn't give me a moment to think. Charizard raced forward.

"Shellshocker, Mega Punch!" His arm glowed and he ran out to meet the challenger. They met in the middle and struggled. Back. And forth. Then back. But then I found out Andrew's plan. It wanted Shellshocker to waste as much energy as possible, before simply taking off for Seismic Toss. Perfect.

"Shellshocker!" I yelled. "Hydro Pump!" I could've sworn I heard him say, "Booyah" as his cannons pointed at Charizard's face and clicked. Kaboom.

Shellshocker landed safely on its back, inside of its shell. Unfortunately, evolution is a cruel mistress, and Charizard had no shell.

"Charizard is unable to continue! The victory goes to Blastoise!" Andrew looked infuriated. I could tell I was dashing his hopes of beating the next Trainer, even if he did manage a victory.

"Fine! Wanna play like that!?"

"I thought we were already 'playing like that!'"

His face turned bright red. "ENOUGH! ZAPDOS, KILL THEM!"


	48. Chapter 46: Better Luck Next Time

No. Freaking. Way. Well, now I knew how people felt when I sent Moltres out.

"How…how did you capture that?"

"Same way you did, idiot!" _Yeah, I highly doubted that._

"Shellshocker, Hydro Cannon!" With renewed strength and resolve, Shellshocker aimed its cannons at Zapdos and fired.

"Zap Cannon!" The attack went through the Hydro Cannon. Not around it. Not past it. _Through it._ Shellshocker fell on the ground, twitching.

"You can't give up, buddy! Not yet!" It was too late.

"Blastoise is unable to continue. The victory goes to Zapdos!"

This was getting rough. That Zapdos looks…well, it's bad news for sure."

"Moltres, lets decide which Legendary Bird is stronger!" Moltres came out, ready to go. The two screeched at each other, apparently having a conversation.

"Cut the chatter, Tweetie!" shouted Andrew. "Zapdos, Thunder!"

"Moltres Flamethrower!" This time, the two birds were about matched. With this one attack, that is. They kept their streams going, flying about, trying to find a better angle. Eventually, Zapdos was brushed by flames, and Moltres was zapped. Only difference; Moltres took double damage.

"Drill Peck!" we both yelled at the same time. The two met, and their attack's canceled each other. They resorted to scratching, biting, and pecking in midair. Flames and sparks fell from the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's not every we get to watch two Legendary Birds duke it out in the sky!"

"Moltres, Flamethrower!" Moltres unleashed a stream of fire, just as Zapdos's foot came crashing down on its head.

"Moltres is unable to battle! The victory goes to Zapdos!"

This thing really was strong. I was starting to get worried. "Celebi, you ready?"

**Created from the interlacing of timelines ready!**(Get it? 'Born ready?' That's how she was 'born'.)

"Zapdos, brush this little squirt aside with Drill Peck!" Zapdos may be fast, but Celebi was small and nimble. Not as big a target as Moltres or Shocker.

"Psychic!" Celebi forced Zapdos's wings to fold at an odd angle, forcing it into the ground, screeching with pain.

"Giga Impact!" Right into Zapdos's back.

"Get that thing off! Thunder!" Zapdos covered itself in lightning. Celebi flew pack.

"Now, Zap Cannon!" At point blank range, that had to hurt. Celebi was left drifting back and forth, injured.

**Ugh…unnhh**

"Celebi, you can't give in!" I didn't want to lose…but I didn't want to see Celebi suffer like this. I was gonna call her back-

"Zapdos, Drill Peck!"

He shouted this before I could even open my mouth to forfeit. It looked pretty much over, anyway.

**No…** Said Celebi, her head drifting back up. **I WONT-LET-WILL-DOWN!**

As Zapdos neared her, she exploded in a burst of green energy. Zapdos was sent crashing back down. Celebi swayed for a moment, and then fell.

"Both Celebi and Zapdos are unable to battle…"

I ran out to catch her. She was covered in smoldering patches. Her antennae were drooping. She was barely conscious. **D-did we win?**

I smiled. "We did what I wanted to. So yes, we won."

Andrew had two left. I only had an injured Typhlosion. But I had successfully screwed him over. Just a little more damage I could do…

"Well, I hope you're happy!" he cried. "You still lose, though! Scizor, go!"

"Typhlosion, one more thing, buddy!" It could barely stand. But it didn't really need to.

"Typhlosion, Eruption!" And, yes, its ability, Blaze, was now active. I might as well have renamed the move Supernova. I covered my eyes as a brilliant flash of heat erupted from the battlefield, and shielded Celebi when the hot burst of wind followed. A scorched trail was all that was left after the attack. Scizor was done. And so was Typhlosion.

"Scizor is unable to battle. As is Typhlosion. Since he is the only one with Pokémon left, Andrew wins!"

I sighed. _No. No he didn't._

…

I was more than happy to find out that, once again, he had been beaten in the next round by Cilus, the guy from the Kanto League. This time, I had placed in 9th.

"That's 3 up from last time!" said Burgundy. "Maybe in the next one, you'll get 6th! And then 3rd, and then…uh…1st!"

We all laughed. I was given condolences, but I still felt like the winner. I had weakened Andrew's vanguard, causing him to lose. Butterfree effect, baby.

On the way out of the complex, I heard a groan. I turned to see a Hitmontop. Andrew's Hitmontop. It was still injured. He hadn't even bothered to heal it before he left it.

"That little-" I bent over to pick it up. I brought it to the Pokémon Center kiosk, and sat down in a chair. "I can't believe him! Who does that?"

"No good scum, that's who." I clenched my fists. There was a line involving how far you could go disciplining Pokémon. And Andrew crossed it. I was fed up. I had reached my boiling point and I was ready to steam. I shot up.

"Come on," I said(little did I know actual flecks of blue vapor were coming off of me. Probably thanks to Aria).

"Where are we going," asked Burgundy.

"We're going to find Andrew and-"

"Who, there, steam pot. You've got bigger fish to fry." I turned to see Juno. She looked winded.

"What's wrong?"

"The Radio Tower in Goldenrod City…it's being attacked!"

I was paralyzed by fear and confusion. "Kelci…?"

"I sent her on her way a while back. She should be halfway to Almia by now." She put a calming hand on my shoulder. "She's fine Will. Right now, we need to worry about the Radio Tower."

"Who's attacking?" asked Wes.

"Three guesses."

"Team Rocket, Team Rocket,-"

Juno nodded. "Team Rocket. And I guarantee you that Plasma is on their way. Heck they probably just got there."

…

We ran out into the field as fast as we could.

"Moltres!" I called. It looked up from the tree it was relieving of berries. "Lock, load, and saddle up! We've gotta go, now!" I leapt onto its back. Juno followed me. Wes struggled up, and helped Burg on. I snapped off a quick whistle, and we were off.

"Did they get it yet?" I called to Juno over the howling winds.

"The wha-oh, no I don't think so. Security should be pushing them back, but once Plasma arrives…"

"But they aren't after a Signal Matrix!"

"Who knows." Her blue eyes locked with mine, the hair billowing in her face not stopping either of us. "With them, you never can really tell."

I looked forward, trying not to look back. "Let's not forget I'm one of them."

"I didn't."

…

"Agent Shear, they're running out of places to retreat," said a Plasma Grunt. "We've pushed them to the top of the tower."

Morpheus leaned on the side of the chopper they were in. "Isn't that where they aimed to go in the first place?"

"Yes, but their plan included a way out. Which they have partially deprived themselves of."

Shear looked at the pinnacle of the tower they were approaching. "Take us to the top," she said to the pilot. Over the horizon, she saw a glimmer. Almost like flapping wings…

Good, they were here. They'd be needed soon.

…

"The Signal Matrix should be on the top," shouted Wes.

"What do you know about Radio Tower architecture?" said Burgundy in an accusing tone.

"I've been around."

"Wes, you and Burgundy will need to hold off the Rocket and Plasma Grunts," shouted Juno as we entered the city. "Will and I have the rest under control."

"Why do we always get 'hold off' duty?"

"Because listen."

"What?"

We soared over Goldenrod. If not for the coming battle, today might have been a boring day for these people. Nothing going on. I hoped we could change that for the batter, and not for the worse.

"Look!" Burgundy pointed to a helicopter nearing the top of the tower. Team Plasma, no doubt. Moltres shrieked and let a crimson fire bolt fly. The helicopter veered off to avoid it.

Juno looked at me with the "You Done Goofed" angry woman look. "You gonna control your Moltres?"

I looked forward, quite pleased with myself, and a smile on my face. "Why? It didn't do anything wrong."

…...

"How long!?" cried Archer, spit flying from his mouth. Proton had never seen Archer this angry, this out of control before.

"Gonna have to be more specific!"

"How long until you get the Signal Matrix out!? What else would I be talking about!?" He was breathing heavily. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. He looked over at Arianna and Petrol. Arianna had her Arbok out, facing the door. Petrol had three Koffing.

"Archer, when they come through, they'll _come through!_ We won't be able to stop them!"

Archer stomped his foot. "I don't care! You will shield me with your bodies if that's what it takes! I've come too far for this-"

Arianna breathed in. "Don't you mean 'we', Archer?"

He ignored her, and turned to look over the side of the building, gazing out of the highest point of the building, as he liked to do. "No matter where he is, we can use the Signal Matrix to send a message to Giovanni. He will return, and lead us to glory!" Archer, the usually calm and composed leader, turned back to face his co-Executives. He had an insane grin on his face.

"Archer, you sound like a cult leader!" shouted Arianna. _Not like the man I first met, _she wanted to say.

"That doesn't matter anymore-"

"I agree!" Moltres landed on the roof. I hopped off, as did Juno. We looked over at Petrel and Arianna, but saw Wes and Burgundy, a Pokéball in each hand, running towards them.

"We've got this!" shouted Wes. "Go!"

"Almost got it, boss!" shouted Proton.

"That won't be necessary," said Juno, activating her Styler. "By the authority of the Ranger Union, I place you both under arrest. Failure to comply will-"Archer's insane grin returned. I grabbed a Pokéball and threw it. A Houndoom appeared from it.

"-Will nothing! Giovanni will return and you won't be any the wiser!" Houndoom raised its head to attack. And Juno was right in its path. Moltres screeched, and bathed Houndoom in flames. When the flames subsided, it was fine. Its ability was Flash Fire! If anything, it was stronger now!

Houndoom, now uninterrupted, launched a massive fireball.

"No!" I shouted as it exploded when it made contact with Juno…or at least I thought. When the flames vanished, Shear was standing there, swords drawn in a protective '"X". She shot me a furious glance.

"You, Alpha, are more trouble than you're worth!" She turned back to Archer. "Be that as it may, this ain't your party." I nodded in agreement. Juno, Shear, and I now formed a semi-circle preventing Archer's escape.

"Jigs' up, Archer," said Juno. "You're coming home with me."

Shear shook her head. "You wish, Ranger. Archer is mine!"

Archer looked behind him, and took a step back. My stomach jumped; it didn't matter if he was evil or not, he was about to punch out. And that scared me. I held a hand out, even though I was far too far away to reach. It was a gesture.

"Archer, it doesn't have to end like this. We can talk over a solution…"

"No…it had to…a world without Giovanni…Team Rocket…" he backed off the building.

"No!" I cried, running to the edge. It was too late. I was too late. Again.

…

Archer choked as he felt something wrap around his neck. He looked down; he wasn't falling anymore. He heard a chuckle. Morpheus was holding him by the collar.

"Sorry, Fancy Pants. But you've caused us far too much trouble to just let you go." He held Archer closed to his face so Archer could see his toothy grin. "Even though I'd really like to right now."

…

Plasma goons were escorting Rocket goons onto helicopters. This didn't sit right with me. The police should have these people, not Team Plasma. But I was in no position to argue. I watched as Shear delegated a crew of Plasma technicians to fix the Signal Matrix. It felt odd to me that she was repairing this, but…I guess she wanted to leave no loose ends for people to wonder about.

Mt pocket vibrated. I took out my Pokégear and answered.

"Hello," chimed a high voice. "Is this William Grey?"

"Uh, yes it is. Can I help you?"

"Yes, this is the Nurse Joy of the Johto League Pokémon Center. You left a Hitmontop with us?"

"Yes, I did. Is it feeling better?"

"Much better. In fact, that's why I called. It has no Trainer. Would you be willing to take it?"

I grinned. Any potential enemy of Andrew was a friend of mine.

"I'd be delighted to add him to my team."

"Great! I'll send it to Professor Oak immediately." I hung up.

"What was that about?" asked Burgundy.

"New crew member." I looked over the horizon. The sun was setting on Johto. I breathed in the evening air, feeling satisfied. Took down a criminal syndicate. Finished the league. Got an awesome new Pokémon. Pretty good day if you ask me.

"Well, Celebi," I said, turning to my temporal companion. "You ready to go home?"

She nodded and swirled around my head. **Am I ever!**

"Hey!" We all turned to face Shear. She was motioning to us. "You all had better get over here!"

…

Shear turned back to the technician. "Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded.

"Watch." This Signal Matrix looked like it had red lightning in it, as opposed to the blue artificial one Team Rocket had whipped up. They watched for a moment…nothing. But then, so quickly and suddenly, the streams of red lightning was erratic and turned green. And then back to normal. But it was getting more and more frequent.

"What is it?" I asked when I stopped behind Shear.

"It's him," she said, straightening up. "Maelstrom. He's getting closer." She turned to face the sunset I had just face. "The final battle is about to begin."


	49. Chapter 47: Repent Part 1

Burgundy turned white as a ghost. "Y-y-you mean-"

"Yes! It's back!" Shear was running out of time, patience, and above all else…control. Her brain felt like it was going through a wind tunnel. She could almost hear a faint whisper in her ear.

"Listen, we'll need all hands on deck if we want to finish this thing once and for all!" She motioned to the helicopters being loaded up with Plasma troops. "Get in."

"Get in!?" I was flabbergasted she had the gall to even suggest such a thing. "So far you've almost beheaded Juno, disturbed thousands of lives, bombed a city…you _killed _me-"

Shear sighed and walked over to me. I couldn't tell what the look on her face was: it wasn't sad, she doesn't…well, get that. It wasn't serious. I'd be shaking if it were her serious face. It was…honest. Down to Earth. "Listen. I know I've done some…eh, hairy things in the past, but this is beyond any of us alone. If I have to, I'll invoke your little 'hero ego.' If Maelstrom leaves that forest, people and Pokémon will die. _A lot _of people and Pokémon. So would you kindly get in the helicopter?"

I wanted to curse her out, but my body took over and calmly walked towards the chopper.

_Aria, when are we gonna ditch the trigger phrase?_

_Soon, my pet. Soon…_

_Did you just call me your pet?_

_…no…_

Once I was out of earshot, Shear turned back to the technician. "So you're sure his thing is reacting due to Maelstrom?"

He nodded. "Yes. The Incursion is setting this Matrix off. Which means…"

"It's just what we need. Load it up. We're taking it with us." Shear turned and rubbed her hands together. "Maelstrom taken down, and the right piece found. Today is going to be a good day for Shear…"

_But can I really finish the job? _Her conscious would not let her forget…

…

Ghetsis, Colress, and Karrgon watched from the observation room high above the OR. As far as they knew, the operation was going well. They all flipped around when Shear came bursting into the room. Tears filled her eyes.

"What was that!?" She stomped over to the observation window. "What are they doing to him?"

"They're making a giant leap for science," said Colress, smiling. "Gold will have done-"

"Done what!?" This was the most genuine expression of emotion any of the three could remember out of Shear. "Became a puppet!? A science project!? I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore! I joined to make a difference! To save humanity from its ultimate enemy: itself! But things have just gotten weirder and weirder."

King Plasma stood taller, making sure his place as leader would not go forgotten in the room. "The path towards triumph always bends and sways as it gets longer, Agent Shear. The only way to follow a straight path is to go back, or be left behind."

Shear was still crying, tears streaming down her cheek, breathing heavily. "I just _killed _Diane! I had to _kill _a teammate in cold blood! _WHY_!?"

King Plasma turned back to watch his operation. "To save humanity is a job humans can no longer do. Humans are flawed, and would only further flaw a plan. That is why we can no longer trust them with the most delicate of operations. And that is why I initiated The Purge."

"But why can't humans be a part of Advance?"

Karrgon cocked his eyebrow at Shear. "Why are you surprised. A non-human is what you are." He turned as well. "And what he is becoming."

"But this is nothing like our procedures! What was that red glow!?"

Colress's eyes sparkled. "The future, Shear. The future of humanity. Defeating its second greatest foe during the battle with the first: death!"

"Soon, this operation will be cleansed. I expect the Control Group to be fully purged by the end of the-" King Plasma was interrupted by Morpheus entering the room.

"Yeah, 'bout that boss. Krim and Mogar somehow got word. They high-tailed it before I could get to 'em."

King Plasma growled. "Colress, record this data for me. As of today, Agents Krimson Kissex and Mogar have gone rogue. No resources are to be wasted bringing them back alive."

Colress paused. "And Agent Diane Strella?"

Shear bit her lip and clenched her fist. "Dead."

There was the crackle of a radio, and the female doctor from before spoke. "Sir, it is done."

"Results?" asked Colress.

"So far, stable. The Incursion, as far as we know, is a success."

King Plasma nodded, and looked at Colress. The two shook hands.

_How can they be so happy? _Thought Shear. _They just put something into Gold, and they're celebrating._

"A ship will leave immediately, bringing Agent Gold to the nearest Safehouse. I will dispatch one agent to accompany-"

"I'm going," said Shear. Karrgon wrinkled his nose.

"Excuse me!? You do not get to make demands of the King! Only-"King Plasma held up a hand.

"That will not be necessary, Lieutenant. I was going to send her anyway." A shadow fell across his face. "There was a lesson I hoped she would learn on the way…"

…

The ship bound for the nearest Safehouse left almost immediately. Shear was onboard before the crew. In the medical ward before the doctors. And in the med bay before its only passenger: Gold.

For six hours, she sat by his bed. Watching. He was pale, ghostly pale. Unless the meters beeping beside him told her otherwise, she would have believed he was dead. She watched, hoping he would open his eyes and see her.

Her dream came true.

And soon, her nightmare.

His eyes peeked open. Shear gasped, and leaned over further. His eyes were dark red. Like blood itself now flowed through them.

"You came back," said Shear, as she put her hand on his cheek. It was a frigid as he looked. Slowly, he put his hand on her cheek as well.

"I…am back…" said Gold. But that was not his voice. His facial expression changed from weak and innocent, then immediately to angry, furious, and vengeful. Shear recoiled her hand. A sudden fever had sprung up on him. The meters began to go wild.

"Sedate him!" cried the doctor. "The Incursion is fighting for full control! The relationship isn't symbiotic like we thought!"

Gold's gentile hand became a grip, covering half of Shear's face.

"Gold, what are you do-AGGGHHH!" Red energy shot up his hand and into his palm, and scorched Shear's face. And he didn't let go. She twitched, and fell to the floor, clutching her face when he let go. She could hear her flesh boiling and sizzling.

Gold began to growl and twitch in her bed. Metal cuffs sprung up and restrained him. He tossed back and forth, and they snapped. He grabbed his forehead and roared.

"No!" The doctor had arrived and surveyed the scene. "The fighting between two minds…its driving him insane!"

Before she could take one step forward, there was a loud explosion. When Shear came to, everything was shifting position. All she could her was a high pitched wine. Her face stung; she couldn't see out of her right eye. She saw a massive hole had been torn in the side of the ship, and the wind whipping her face was what stung her. And Gold was gone.

She struggled to stand and locate her sword. She looked out the hole, and saw a red ball hurtling towards the forest below. Gold. She re-surveyed the room. The doctor was slumped in the corner, her head cut and bleeding. Shear spied something else on the floor: the Stalker mask. She picked it up. She found some skin solvent on the floor, and covered the burned side of her face with it. That eased the pain from infinite burning to excruciating burning. The she donned the mask. And leapt out the hole.

…...

She heard nothing but the roar of ozone as she rocketed down towards the Earth. She positioned herself in a way that she would fall faster, and catch up with Gold. She cared not about if she shattered her body on the planet below. Just reaching Gold.

When she was parallel to Gold, she called out to him. "Gold, I know you're in there! Fight it! Gain control!"

He stared at her, still furious and wild. But he closed his eyes and shook his head. "No…only fight…gotta win…two becomes four…four becomes two…one becomes Reclaimer…GENSIS!"

He raised his arm as if to strike her. Shear closed her eye and waited for it to end. Just as she was about to shut it, she saw a green ball…and then felt warmth.

…

She awoke, leaning up against a tree. Her right eye was still forced shut, and her face still hurt. She stood up, and looked around. She was in a forest. She heard some chirping, smelled pleasant smells of flowers and other forest things…

"Am I in heaven?" She reached out and touched a flower. Her hand shot back. "How could I think that!? And where is-" A massive explosion rocked the forest. She followed the sounds of chaos, which was in the opposite direction that Pokémon were fleeing.

She reached a clearing. Just as she ran towards the cloud of smoke, a Plasma Grunt was hurled into the tree behind her. When the smoke cleared, she saw a group of Grunts and their Pokémon facing down Gold. None of them being affective.

Behind Gold was a shrine. It looked a bit burned. The vines curling around it were slowly dying and falling off. In front of it, curled up on the ground, was a Pokémon. It had a green glow, but it was fading. Then something touched her mind.

**You…feel good. Not like the others. Your name…you are Samantha…**

"It's Shear!" Two Grunts turned at the sound of her voice, and were thrown back by Gold when distracted. Shear ran over to the Pokémon

**Parts of you think you aren't Samantha…but I feel more Samantha than Shear…you have to help…get monster to the Shrine…only way…I can seal it…**

"The longer we wait, the stronger it gets! Can't you just seal it now!?"

**It would take all of my energy…**

"We have to do that, or else we risk a disaster!" The Pokémon shuddered, and struggled to its feet.

**Fine…keep it busy while I summon up the strength…**

Shear drew her sword, and charged. Gold turned to face her. The resulting confrontation seemed to go in slow motion. She swung at him, he blocked with his arm. She arced at his neck, he blocked again. Tears were streaming down her cheek, as her strikes got sloppier and sloppier.

Eventually, it was he who knocked her weapon away from her. He once again grabbed for her face, but grabbed the mask instead. She fell back, now fully bursting into tears. He raised his arm, crackling with energy…

And a green tentacle of light wrapped around his waist. He was stalled in surprise, and tried to struggle. Another wrapped around his upraised arm, and then his neck. Shear looked over at the Pokémon. Like sand caught in a whirlwind, its image was de-pixelating into the void opened in the shrine.

Gold was slowly dragged into the void, clawing at the ground. "Gotta stop…Usurper…beware the Serpent Queen…she guides the Reclaimer…two must be one to be Reclaimer…stop her!" And with that, he was gone. The portal closed, and the two small gates on the shrine snapped shut.

A fire raged in the forest behind her. Shear crawled over to the mask. It had bent and burned when he grabbed it. Half was gone. She donned the remaining half on the burned part of her face as she stood, silhouetted by the flames.

Gold was gone. And he took Samantha with him. Now, there was only Shear.

…

King Plasma and Karrgon review the footage of the battle. Karrgon turned to the King. His face was emotionless.

"Well," said Karrgon. "Did Shear learn the lesson you intended?"

He was motionless for a moment. Then he smiled. "Yes."

He turned to face the ceiling, where the comm was.

"Colress, Project Maelstrom was a failure. We are moving on."

_Yes, sir._

"What concerns me, my lord, are the things Maelstrom said before his death. About two becoming four, and one becoming a…what was it? Reclaimer?"

The King nodded. "It appears we have lessons to learn as well."

**Well, I know these last few have kinda been monsters of words, but I guess that how it gets when something wraps up. So, yeah, Part wraps up soon, with Part 3 starting not soon after. I hope. And with that, I'd just like to announce a little side-project I'm doing. I am a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise, and have started a short fanfic on that. I would really appreciate if you maybe decided to give it a look. It's called Mass Effect: Lies and Secrets. Even if you aren't familiar with the universe, I would super appreciate it if you gave it a little look-see and let me know what you think every once in a while. And like I said, it's just a little side-project. I'll try to update every Friday, but Plasma Saga takes priority. Thanks!**

**-TrainerNaps**


	50. Chapter 48: Repent Part 2

We all entered the forest on high guard. Shear and her Plasma dudes, as well as crazy robot, took point. I hung back a little with Juno.

"Well, this is it, gu-"I turned to see Wes and Burgundy standing a good twenty yards behind us. They waved.

"Good luck, guys!" called Wes. "We'll be back here if you need us!"

"You need to find some better friends," said Juno, shaking her head.

I sighed and laughed. "You know, that's what the little voice in my head tells me…"

_When did I say that? _Asked Aria

_I didn't mean you!_

Shear held up a hand. We all stopped. The sound of deep breathing overtook the clearing we stood in. I looked to my left. Celebi's shrine stood at the edge of the clearing, an almost glimmering bastion of hope.

"Celebi," I whispered. "Go to your shrine and protect it. Just in case." She nodded and flew off.

Shear walked over and addressed me and Juno. "When Maelstrom comes, we'll need you to back us up. But stay out of the-"

"Look out!" I shot a small bolt of blue energy over her shoulder. It struck Maelstrom in the face, staggering him for a split second. Shear spun, drew both swords, and ran at him. The battle had begun.

Juno activated her Styler, looked at me, and nodded. She ran to join the fight.

_Alright, Aria, you ready to cooperate?_

_Of course I am, my sweet. Just give me full control…_

_What!? _My expression looked almost as if I was having an actual argument with someone.

_Let me take your body for a joy ride. Come one, I promise I won't scratch it._

_Absolutely not! _My exclamation was concurrent with the destruction, and resulting explosion, of HK-52.

The droid sunk to its knees. Its remaining arm extended as it fell.

_EXCLAMATION….ROSEBUD…_ It fell. Shear took another swing at Maelstrom, but it parried and ducked under. It came at me.

_Can I have control now?_

_No!_

It took down three Plasma Grunts and kept charging

_Now?_

_No!_

It knocked Juno aside.

_Now!?_

I clenched my fist. _Fine._

And then everything went white.

…

"What's he doing!?" cried Burgundy from her 'backup' position. "The monster just keeps getting closer! It's gonna get him!"

Wes didn't believe that Will would be the kind of person to just be petrified by fear. "C'mon, buddy…" he mumbled. "Do something…"

And then a brilliant explosion of blue light ripped through the forest. When it faded, Maelstrom was sprawled a few yards away. A strange aura had enveloped Will, like a blue fire. He was…checking himself out…

_"Very nice," _said two voices at once. One was Wills. The other sounded like some girl. _"Kinda skinny, but it'll do."_

Maelstrom started picking itself up. "Will" tsk tsked. "_Poor, poor, kid. Driven insane by a mind that didn't belong. I should feel sorry for Iram, too, but…well, I don't."_

Maelstrom growled. His red aura burst even brighter. "Will" smirked again. "_You gonna give me a fair shot this time around, Iram? Or are you gonna cheat again? I don't see Grandfather or Serenitus to stop me this time!"_

Shear was picking herself up off of the ground. She surveyed the showdown now going on. "Alpha, what is going on!?"

"Will" looked at her and smiled. _Alpha ain't here right now. Can I take a message?_

Shear gasped. "Than what are you?"

"Will" smiled once again. He took a deep breath, and his blue flames flared up. _"I …am…ARIA!"_

He pulled back his arm, and thrust it forward. There was a blue flash, and Maelstrom was sent flying back. In a second, "Will" was on him. And when the two made contact…

Shear screamed and fell to the ground, clutching her head. The wind tunnel her brain was going through had turned into a black hole. Her wild thrashing stopped, and her eyes opened wide and her head shook violently as her vision faded.

What she saw next was strange, but no stranger than that day. It looked like she was getting a third person view of someone's life, the image skewered as if in…well, a wind tunnel. Over and over again, with an infinite echo, the things that Gold had said that day repeated as the images flickered.

**only fight…**

**gotta win…**

**two becomes four**

**…four becomes two…**

**one becomes Reclaimer… **

**Usurper…**

**beware the Serpent Queen…**

**she guides the Reclaimer…**

**two must be one to be Reclaimer…**

**stop her…**

**Genesis!**

The images she saw was an acting out of the life of a beautiful woman, details of whom she couldn't quite pinpoint. In one she was smiling and tilted her head to the side, and started laughing. In the next, she was sitting on a beach as the sun set, leaning in close to a man. In the next, she was wearing a glorious white dress, her hands in the large hand of another, saying something. In the next, she was in pain, screaming and crying. Then she looked peaceful. She was being laid to rest. It ended with the first image of her, smiling and laughing, the whole time those thing Gold had said repeating and echoing. And then the images just faded, leaving a blur. And the last thing she heard…

**Hello. My name is Genesis. What is your name?**

Shear sucked in a breath as she was shot back into reality. "Will" was standing over Maelstrom, one foot on its neck, stomping over and over again.

_"I don't care if you aren't in control, Iram! I don't even care if you've faded away. I'm still making you pay!" _"Will" brought his foot down hard. Maelstrom choked. _"The Serpent Queens' back, baby!"_

Celebi looked at "Will" as if trying to talk to him. She #!*% her head back in surprise, and flew over to Wes and Burgundy.

"Celebi," cried Burgundy. "What happened to Will?"

**I don't know! It's almost like…**

"Almost like what!?"

**Almost like Will's mind wrapped in someone's grasp. I can't reach out to him! And we need to hurry!**

"I agree with the pixie." They all turned. Specter was approaching. Wes sighed and laughed.

"Boy, are you a sigh for sore eyes."

Specter smiled. "I brought company." Skye was tagging alongside of him.

She did a half wave. "And if you can believe it, he called me this time!"

Wes was happy his comrades were all here, but the situation as pretty dire now.

"Okay, so what's going on and what do we do?"

Skye put her hands on her hips and watched the rather one-sided battle between "Will" and Maelstrom. "You know, I say we just wait for Will to finish this. Has he been working out?"

**It may look like he's winning, but he isn't! Maelstrom is draining his energy away from him slowly. Whatever is in control of Will doesn't realize this, but pretty soon-**

"It'll reach full power," said Burgundy, softly.

**Even worse! Once it has surplus energy from Will, it'll be beyond full power! Even I won't be able to stop it! We need to seal it away quickly!**

Specter nodded. "I concur. I will go with Celebi and attempt to open the shrine. The rest of you, distract Maelstrom, and be ready for the final push."

Burgundy looked at her feet. "Yeah…well remain in reserve for now…"

…

"What's going on!?" I shouted in the area where I usually talked with Aria in my dreams. After I had willingly given her control, I had been shuffled here, alone. I had no connections to the outside world.

I heard a loud giggle. It was Aria.

"Thanks for the vessel, Will. I'm using it right, don't you worry. Better than you ever have."

"When are you going to give it back!?" I shouted, aggravated.

"When I feel like it. _If _ I feel like it."

…

Shear was thrown back once again by one of Maelstrom's attacks. Instead of falling on her back, she landed softly on her feet. She turned to see that Specter had caught her. She grunted.

"Well, looks like the traitor came back. Decide to rub it in my face before I die?" He shook his head.

"I'm here to help."

"Well, I literally don't have the energy to lie to you right now. We need it." She turned just in time to catch one of Maelstrom's attacks with a sword, and swipe back at him. "Go!"

Celebi and Specter proceeded to the shrine. Maelstrom attempted to intercept them, but cover for their escape came in the form of a coordinated attack from Skye and Juno. Shear noticed this and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Pushovers."

The three, including "Will" from behind, once again engaged Maelstrom. It was an epic confrontation. If Maelstrom was like a normal human, and all of this action had slowed him down, it would've ended there. But if anything, he was getting stronger and faster.

He ducked under one of Shear's blades, and jumped as the other one came at his legs. When he landed he grabbed "Will"'s arm, and hurled him at Juno, who was charging for an attack. He parried Skye's blade, and pushed her away.

The fight would continue like this for a while.

…

"And…there!"

**We did it! **The gates of the shrine had swung open. Specter patted his shadow tendrils on the ground, for they were smoking.

**Now we just have to pick where we send him.**

"How far-or early-should it be?"

**How about infinity?**

"Does that really exist?"

**If you know how to get there…**

…

"Everyone!" cried Specter. "The gate is ready! Push him back!" The three girls all roared, and their blades converged on Maelstrom. He staggered back a bit, but not by much.

He raised his arm to strike back, but a golden beam knocked him further. They all turned to see that Burgundy had sent out Nidoqueen.

"Yeah!" she jumped in the air and pumped her fist.

Shear roared and charged. And just the, Maelstrom's expression changed. He became Gold again.

"Samantha?" he said, in a wounded, innocent voice.

"Samantha isn't here anymore!" she slashed his chest. "Neither is Gold." She continued a flurry of sword strikes, driving him back. Further and further he went, until they were right in front of the shrine. The, Shear was shoved aside by an invisible wall of energy. "Will" took her place, grabbed Maelstrom around the throat, and pushed him down onto the shrine. The two were enveloped in a golden glow.

_"I'm not just gonna imprison you like you did to me! I'm going to suck every ounce of that power out of you." _It leaned in close. _"And then my final revenge will fully come into effect." _And then…

…

Aria looked around, confused. She was back in my subconscious. She looked around, confused. And then she saw me. I wasn't too pleased. She could tell.

"No!" She flopped down on her knees. "He's out there! I have to finish him!"

"That's my issue." I walked up to her and put a hand around her throat. I lifted her. "That was supposed to be a group effort. And you betrayed my trust, violated my own mind, almost killed my friends…"

"Don't…do this…" she choked. "Without me…you'll never be free…"

I smirked. For the first time since we had met, I knew she was wrong. "No. In doing this, I'm actually taking my first step towards freedom." I leaned in close and whispered in her ear: "Now...would you kindly GET…OUT…OF MY MIND!"

She screamed as she was enveloped in a blue flame. And, once again, everything faded to white.

…

When I came to, I was in some sort of…tunnel. Great. Another Dreamscape. Glowing blue light waves came down all around me, forming a cylinder. It looked almost like water. I looked up. A golden glow was the ceiling of this place.

**You did it.**

I turned to see Celebi. She looked happier and more vibrant than I had ever seen her.

I smiled as I walked closer to her. "It was a team effort. We all worked for this."

**No, you freed yourself from the clutches of that witch Aria. You reclaimed your body, and your mind.**

I crossed my arms. I didn't voice this concern to Celebi, but I thought that I should've never _had _to reclaim anything. They were mine to start with, and I was a fool.

**Don't think like that.**

I jumped. "You can…read my mind?"

**Of course I can, dummy. We are in my element after all.**

"You mean…"

**Yup. We are in the slipspace of time. The very fabric of the universe swirls around us.**

"And Maelstrom?"

**Banished. Never to return. Every bit of him has been spread all throughout a number of years even I can't count. He will never reform.**

She drifted over to me. Her big blue eyes looked so innocent, yet so brilliant. **You saved me, Will. You saved me, and my home, and who knows how many other things. It looks like I was wrong.**

I scratched my head. "Wrong about what?"

**You know how I usually only show up in peaceful times? Well, I thought that all people in the non-peaceful ones were bad. While that may be true for some, I learned that there are at least some who aren't. And those people are doing their darndest to ****_create_**** peaceful times. It's because of them that peaceful times exist.**

"When will the next 'peaceful time' be?"

**Very soon. Thanks to you. And your friends. And all the people you'll meet along your journey.**

"You mean more there's more people who join Team Grey?"

She giggled. **So many more. Some in ways you probably haven't even thought of yet. Your family gets much bigger, Will. And I don't just mean Team Grey. **She hugged her little arms around my neck. I gently wrapped mine around her, careful not to squish her.

**You know, I have a new idea. I'm not just going to look for peaceful times to hang out in. I'm going to look for peaceful people in all times to hang out with. If what you've shown me hold true for all of them, I'll have so many new adventures.**

I laughed. "That's the spirit, Celebi." We broke out contact. "So, you gonna come with?"

**Eventually I'll be back. I need to make sure that the locks on Maelstrom's prison are strong. The, you know I'll be back. One more thing. **She drifted close to me, and made me hold out my hand. She deposited something in it. It was long and cold. I looked at my hand, and saw a mahogany-brown stick.

**Now I know what you're thinking. Literally. Yes, it's just a stick. But it's not just any 'just a stick.' It's a stick…from a tree…from my forest…from the future…**

"Wow, tha-"

**-FROM SPACE!**

"Really!?"

**In a long time from now, they plant some space trees here. I like them a lot. And I know how you like sci-fi, so it's the least I can do for you until I come back. Oh, and this was the present I mentioned earlier.**

"Thanks Celebi." I put it in my pocket. "I'll treasure it forever."

**I know you will. People like you don't disappoint. Well, once I make sure Maelstrom is gone, and bring those dinos back to their time, we'll meet up.**

***queue credits music. I recommend "When Can I See You Again." Set's the mood***

"When will I see you again?" Celebi giggled.

**You're asking me a time related question. How dumb is that?**

…

I woke up, lying in the grass. I checked my pocket. My space twig was still there.

"Will!" Burgundy ran over to me, followed by Wes and Juno.

"What was all that? You were all…it was like…I saw…"

Wes laughed and helped me up. "Give him a minute to catch his breath. I'm sure he'll tell us on the way." I nodded, and looked at Juno. She was grinning.

"Well, I assume you'll go to Hoenn next?"

"Yup, that's the plan."

"Sweet, see ya there!"

I blinked. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yup. I know an Operator who owes me a favor. If she wants to keep a certain secret safe, she'll let me pick where I go next. You'll be seeing a lot of me in the future."

"Good." I looked around. "Where's Specter and Skye?"

Burgundy shrugged. "I don't know. They just kinda…vanished."

"Oh…weird. Okay, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!"

Burgundy stomped her foot. "You're always hungry! And you'd better tell us what happened on the way!"

I laughed. "Okay, okay. It all started when I was about to make out with Juno…"

"WILL!?" they all shouted.

…

"Why am I here, Specter?" Skye asked, as Specter paced his underground library.

"I have a job, Skye. A job only you can do."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"There are two like Maelstrom. Technically, four." She handed her a scroll. "If allowed to exist, they will cause just as much trouble as Maelstrom did. If anything, more. You must take care of them. I know for a fact that all for will be in Hoenn within the week." He turned to Skye, who was studying the scroll. "Do you accept?"

She was silent. "Yes."

…

The sun had just gone down, and Kelci was settling in at her seat on the boat bound for Almia. She had just put her headphones in, when she heard a noise. She opened her eyes, and saw something that made her gasp. It was one of the only things Samantha had taken with her when she ran away: her stuffed Teddiursa. She knew it was Sam's because the right ear was chewed off.

She picked it up, and studied it. On the back, she detected a note. She flipped the bear over and read it.

_I'm proud of you_

A tear came to her eye as she looked up at the moon. Samantha was still alive.

…

Shear entered the science wing of _Crystal Lance_. In the middle of the small, circular room, was a large device, which had wires connecting it to the wall on all sides. A small, blue light pulsed in the center.

"What is it, professor? I'm very busy."

"We seem to have captured something, milady. Try talking to it. It's very sassy."

_You haven't caught anything. And 'it' has a name._

Shear leaned in closer. "And what would that name be?"

_Aria._

…

***cut music. Put on something ominous***

The commander, Colress, and King Plasma stood facing the Sarcophagus, and its duplicate. In the middle of the two, attached by wires to both, was the signal Matrix, and atop it, the green orb.

"Sir, all lose ends have been tied up. And if both operations were a success, these should work," said Colress. King Plasma nodded.

"Wake her up." Colress pressed a button. One of the chambers opened. Mist poured out. And then silence

_"Good morning, Father. I'm not very tired now."_

**Well, there's part 2 for ya! I hope you all enjoyed! Part 3, "Pokemon: The Plasma Saga: Revelations" will be starting very soon. Keep those reviews and suggestions coming, and I you haven't already, I'd really appreciate it if you checked out my new side-project, Mass Effect: Lies and Secrets. If you're familair with the universe, tell me what you think! If not, tell me anyway! Thanks everyone!**

**-TrainerNaps**


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